Back to Work

I had a rather uneventful Spring Break but I was happy I didn’t have to think about school and assignments. Now its back to studying and homework! I like this weeks QOTW very much. It takes on a different view and I think that since some of the people in this class actually have children the responses should be very interesting to read. Also I am in the middle of module three. It is interesting to see all the tests that can be used to test for HIV. I took a class called Quantitative Biological Mechanisms a few semesters ago. This class was all about the different tests used to test samples and in the lab I performed some of the tests we have to write about. So I have a better understanding of them, because I know they can sound confusing.

After getting my results back I was relieved. After learning so much from this class I would always wonder what if I have it, what will I do, it was crazy how much it was always on my mind. Now I am grateful that I have a better understanding of what HIV truly is and how it affects people. After seeing what so many people go through just to get through a day living with HIV, I think I have become more appreciative of life and how blessed I am.

Did You Know: Children with HIV

The best chance for an HIV positive child to have a long life is to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) as early as possible. In Brazil, Thailand, Kenya, Africa, and Asia there have been positive outcomes for children in the pediatric ART programs (Avert, 2010). In a study in Brazil it was shown that three-quarters if HIV positive children that were treated with ART were alive four years later (Avert, 2010). Also in 2007 a study was done in Africa and Asia that looked after 586 HIV positive children using ART (Avert, 2010). After two years of treatment 82% of these children were still alive (Avert, 2010).

References:

AVERT, (2010, February 4). How effective is antiretroviral treatment in children?. Retrieved March 16, 2010, from AVERT: http://www.avert.org/hiv-children.htm

Image: (2010). HIV Treatment for Children. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from AVERT: http://www.avert.org/hiv-children.htm