Post a 300-500 word reflective response to either her presentation, an article that you've read recently (include citation) or any of these HIV-related themes:
- Past and Present
- U.S. versus other countries
- Stereotypes/ Myths
- The Ryan White Care Act
- Funding
- Confidentiality
- Medication
- Volunteer support
- HIV testing procedures
- Sexual Health, safe sex, etc
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ReplyDeleteHere in the United States, our greatest issue concerning the spread of HIV is transmission from partner-to-partner. In countries where healthcare is less readily available, the real HIV issue is mother-to-child transmission. The number of children born HIV positive in impoverished countries is far higher than in “more-developed” countries, making mother-to-child transmission a glaring global issue. The World Health Organization reports that the vast numbers of children born HIV positive in sub-Saharan Africa could have been easily prevented. We already have the drugs needed to treat infected mothers, “It is the logistics of getting the right drugs to the right people at the right time that is proving the biggest barrier in poorer countries...” UNICEF plans to halt the spread of mother-to-child HIV transmission by addressing the distribution issue through implementation of mother-baby packs. The packs are complete with HIV drugs and simple instructions. One of the main issues the packs address is the lack of medical follow-up for a mother and her child. They don’t require the mothers to constantly come back to the clinic because they contain all the medicines an infected mother would ever need. They are low-maintenance, coming with their own set of simple directions as well as cost-effective by eliminating the need for a doctor or nurse, just a community health worker to distribute them. “The pack is divided into three sections of blue for drugs to be taken during pregnancy, yellow for medicines needed during labor and delivery and pink for drugs needed for mother and baby after delivery.” The color-code is genius as it becomes a sort of “case manager” that directs and guides the confusing HIV treatment process. The color-coding and picture instructions eliminate problems like language barriers, illiteracy and the normal confusion surrounding a complex set of medications. No child should have to come into this world HIV positive. We have the knowledge and the medication to prevent it, it is only a matter of effective distribution.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ketam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:mother-baby-hiv-box-targets-transmission
-Hannah Duff
Julia Nehring
ReplyDeleteI recently did a lab in biology where we tested for an artificial AIDS enzyme, and along with the lab we learned a few facts about the epidemiology of AIDS. The first outbreaks in the United States were in the early 1980s. There were a couple thousand breakouts in males and a couple hundred in females reported at first. However, by the early 1990s there were roughly 90,000 males with the disease and 16,000 females. This demonstrates how quickly and exponentially sexually transmitted diseases can spread. There is still no cure for AIDS, though there are cocktails of medicines people can take to limit the effects. Olivia Burchett said that if a college-aged victim tests positive and doesn’t take medicine, they have around 15 years to live, as opposed to living to be 69 if they immediately start taking antibiotics. While the contraction of AIDS is not an immediate death sentence, the prevention of contraction is a much more important concept. Olivia and the Douglas County AIDS Project work hard to educate young people and provide ways for them to have safe sex. Speaking at school functions and providing free condoms are two major things they do. However, government funding for sex education is constantly being cut around the country, therefore putting many unknowing young people at risk. There is a positive correlation between impoverished areas and people infected with AIDS; if wealthier areas aren’t able to receive sex ed either, there will be an even greater population of people living with the disease. Luckily, programs like the Douglas County AIDS Project have many volunteers and interns that fill in the monetary gaps. An estimated one quarter of people living with AIDS don’t know it; education, prevention, and current and future scientific developments are the only ways to end this cycle.
This week we had a speaker from the Douglas County AIDS Project talk about HIV and safe sex. Until this week I had no idea there was an AIDS project here in Lawrence that did anything for families and clients suffering from HIV or AIDS. When she described what she does and what DCAP does, I was very impressed and intrigued to know more. She gave a website to look at for more information, and right when class was over I went back to my room to search through the website.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my brothers are gay, and one who has a serious partner is very much an AIDS activist. They are both active into sports (one rides a bike for AIDS awareness and one plays soccer for the same reason). Their interest in helping fight AIDS and getting people aware of how to prevent and manage the disease has pushed off to me. I really enjoyed learning about what services are provided through DCAP and how it is something free for the families during this time of expensive treatments and expensive life planning.
I did not know that HIV showed no symptoms and could be transmitted without either party being aware. Ms. Burchett also mentioned that she would go around and give safe sex talks to at risk individuals to help hopefully prevent them from contracting this disease. This group of people includes college-aged students. I know that college students sleep around and have unprotected sex, but for some reason I didn’t think that HIV was that prevalent in my age-level. I thought it was a disease that you would get from the 30s-40s...
Overall, I learned quite a bit about HIV, prevention, and how I could get involved with DCAP. HIV has not been a disease that has affected my family, so I don’t have any specific experience dealing with HIV or people suffering from it. However, it was good to learn about it and refresh my knowledge to help prevent myself or anyone in my family from contracting this disease.
~Rebecca Faulkner
I enjoyed learning about the Douglas County AIDS Project this past week in class. Surprisingly even as a senior, I had not known about its services until hearing the presentation. Olivia Burchett was a very refreshing individual who delivered DCAP’s very positive and frank message on prevention and available treatment services.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know anyone with AIDS that I am aware of and so it is always a little bit of a bewildering thought to think that there really are people in this community that I may personally know living with this disease. I think that this silence is driven from the harsh moral judgment that society has historically placed on people that are HIV-positive. When Burchett said that some of their clients can only truly be themselves within this organization because they be too scared to share their news of their disease with anyone else in their life, is just shocking. To be living such a heavy and scary burden all alone and yet have an even greater fear of telling your loved ones…why? Because of their judgments deriving from the stigmas behind this disease? The stigmas of reckless sexual activity or drug use and the fear of a short and sick life expectancy are all historical perceptions. I think that HIV-positive people are scared of complete rejection and avoidance from the people in their life that they are too scared to openly tell their disease about. This would be a lot to live with.
Another very interesting point that was brought up in our presentation was the Student Senates’ proposed budget cut of $2.11 out of student fees which goes to fund DCAP, Headquarters, GaDuGi SafeCenter and Willow Domestic Violence Center. This I found very alarming and motivated me to want to go to the meeting on March 16 to support these organizations. Yes, the senate could put together a task force but that I don’t think in the end will be as effective. All of these organizations are critical to our community. With the future budget cuts coming from the state and federal levels we need to continue and stay strong with our small but helpful financial support.
Hearing this presentation made me really want to start volunteering with the Douglas County Aids Project. It's a completely non-profit organization and it's been around for 22 years, with only 2 full-time staff members and 3 part-time. That's so impressive. That means they depend on volunteers and I'd really like to start volunteering there. They offer HIV prevention and testing, care services. All services are free. The funding comes from the KS Dept of Health and Environment. I also learned a lot more. The people most at risk for HIV are HIV+ and their partners, high-risk youth, high-risk individuals (STD positive), IV drug users, black heterosexual women, and men who have sex with men ages 24-44. I also learned that there are ways to get free "goodies" (condoms) as well. Another thing that I learned was how exactly HIV is tested for. Currently, at this clinic they use the oral swab method but the results of this take 10 to 14 days to get back so they are about to move to the rapid testing method (finger pricking) and those results only take 20 minutes. As you can see, they are much more efficient. The Douglas County Aids Project seems like a very good cause. I'd like to be involved with something like this now and then maybe start something to this extent when I'm older. I'm a Community Health major so hopefully in the future, I can work with something similar. I need to start getting involved now so this summer, I'm going to try really hard to volunteer here. I think being aware of HIV is important for everyone. It’s an issue that can happen to anyone. We all need to responsible so we don’t become one of the cases and if we ever feel unsure, we should go get tested. It’s free so there are no excuses.
ReplyDeleteAshley Arenholz
This past week, we listened to Olivia Burchett talk about the AIDS Project and her role in increasing awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS. I really enjoyed listening to her and learning more about the DCAP and the services they provide for those who are living with HIV and AIDS. Although the topic of AIDS has come up in human sexuality classes and in the occasional movie, it is surprising to hear the statistics of the amount of people living with the disease. I was truly taken back when Burchett said there were approximately 2,000 people (I believe) in the state of Florida who are HIV positive but are on a waiting list and are unable to get the meds they need to fight the disease. Or that Washington D.C. has a higher concentration of AIDS than some West African countries. Burchett’s informational and inspiring lecture on prevention really made me even more aware of the risk that go with unprotected sex and blood born pathogens. Even though we always get the ‘safe sex’ talks, I don’t think people realize how big of an issue it is. I can’t imagine the stigma and emotional rollercoaster those living with HIV go through, but with the help of community programs like DCAP, we can work with efforts to prevent HIV and encourage those to tell their partners. I was also taken back when I heard that Student Senate is trying to reduce its funding to the DCAP and other services for upcoming years. Considering seventy five percent of the people DCAP services and provides free condoms to are students from KU, I really think Student Senate should reconsider when they are about to do. This University, as well as many others try to encourage safe sex, and reduce the amount of STD’s, but without condoms and sexual education, these statistics will likely increase. People may not think it affects them personally since they do not have HIV, but that’s just the thing, if we are not smart about and do not effectively educate people on ways to prevent it then it is more likely they will get it. DCAP provides educational seminars and free condoms to help prevent rising statistics before they start and I think Student Senate should reconsider what they are about to do to those who do benefit from the services DCAP provides.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project spoke this week about HIV awareness, education and support. She spoke about how some groups are more likely than others to come into contact with the virus such as incarcerated individuals. Someone spending time incarcerated is three times more likely to be HIV+ than someone who hasn’t. It’s her job in DCAP to speak to these “high risk” groups and inform them on ways to protect themselves.
ReplyDeleteI was taken aback by the number of things that DCAP does for the community. Originally I thought, given the name, that it was simply and AIDS testing and resource center. They do test for HIV/AIDS but they also do general sex education and care services to those who need help. Care services include managing medical cases, nutrition education, support groups, and a “buddy.” Medical management helps keep patients on medication on a dosing schedule so that the virus cannot mutate into an untreatable form. The 8-20 pills someone with an infection has to take per day drains the body and it is important to keep up healthy eating habits to replace lost nutrients in treatment. These medications cost between twelve and fifty thousand dollars per year. DCAP helps cover some of those expenses and even provides some free medication to those below the federal poverty line.
The Douglas County AIDS Project would not be possible without the slew of volunteers keeping it running. Over 60 volunteers are screened and trained for jobs like information tables, testing for HIV, presentations, and case management buddies. For the 3600 people living with HIV/AIDS in Kansas alone these volunteers make the difference. Unfortunately many people are poorly informed on the virus and ignorance breeds fear. The volunteers and staff at DCAP work to make the patient feel like they have a whole support system to rely on.
It is important for sexually active people to get tested since the virus has no signs or symptoms and there is no reason not to while places like DCAP provide free and quick testing. Currently they are using an oral swab test which takes about two weeks to get results on certain enzymes present in HIV. Starting in April they will begin using the rapid test which consists of a finger prick so they can look for proteins indicative of the virus. The results for the new method take only twenty minutes. While HIV/AIDS still has no cure there is power in education and awareness and the spread of the virus can be prevented. All it takes it the courage to get tested and encourage others to as well.
Olivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project spoke last Thursday about HIV awareness, education, and support. This presentation taught me a lot, and mainly helped me appreciate all of the great work that the Douglas County AIDS Project is doing. In the past, AIDS awareness has not been as evident as it is becoming now. More and more people are aware of the AIDS disease, however there is still a lot of stigma that goes along with the disease. For instance, AIDS is not as contagious as people make it out to seem. Being around someone with AIDS will not transmit the disease to you. Even close contact like kissing will not transmit the disease. One thing the Douglas County Project does is free HIV testing. They do this by taking a sample of the saliva on the inside of the cheek, which takes about 2 weeks to get results back. Then Ms. Burchett told us about their new rapid testing system that takes a quick blood sample from the fingertip, and the results are in in only 20 minutes! This was amazing to me because that is very fast. Anyone the age of 13 or older can get this free HIV testing without parental consent, which is great too because I’m sure a lot of the younger kids who want to get tested would be afraid to tell their parents about something like this.
ReplyDeleteThe Douglas County AIDS Project also has a great volunteer support system for those affected by the disease. Volunteers become friends with the patients and spend time with them regularly. Many of these people form great and lasting friendships, which is the kind of support system I think anyone needs, especially people with AIDS who often feel alone in the world and have not even told the people closest to them in many cases. Ms. Burchett also told us that 1 in 8 people in the capital of Washington D.C. have AIDS. This number is higher than many ratios in even some West African countries, which I find shocking. The age group that is also affected the most is people between the ages of 18 and 24. I believe that this is because many people this age do not practice safe sex. This means to always wear a condom and not to go home with strangers. I think that this is an extremely beneficial and great program, and when I heard of the possible budget cuts that Student Senate is proposing against this Project, I was very upset. I believe that this Project helps a lot of people and we should support them and not cut funding for the Douglas County AIDS Project!
-Janani Ganta
While listening to Olivia Burchett talk on Thursday about the Douglas County Aids Project, I heard her mention Ryan White. I had heard his name before, but I had never learned much about his situation or what he had to go through. Later, I researched the Ryan White Care Act and his struggle with AIDS in the 1980s. According to one article, he was diagnosed with AIDS after becoming extremely ill with pneumonia. Being a hemophilliac, he had contracted the disease after a blood transfusion. At that time period, AIDS was a highly controversial topic, and many people did not want to be around him. Though Ryan just wanted to see his friends and go to school, 117 parents and 50 teachers signed a petition banning him from attending his middle school. Later, Ryan and his family moved to a more welcoming community. The Ryan White Care Act was enacted less than a year after he died at age 18. The Act provides funding for programs and people living with HIV/AIDS. The act is a last resort program. In other words, when no other resources or funding is available for someone with HIV/AIDS, the funding from the Ryan White Care Act comes into play.The Act funds almost 500,000 people a year and essential for HIV/AIDS treatment in the United States.
ReplyDeleteFunding like this is very important for programs and people dealing with HIV/AIDS. The medicine to take care of the disease is extremely expensive. Olivia Burchett mentioned that the Student Senate at KU was cutting the budget that helps fund the Douglas County Aids Project in the next few years. Testing and prevention methods will be cut severely at the KU campus, because the DCAP program will not have the money to cover the testing. I believe it is essential that the Douglas County Aids Project continue to receive support from the KU Student Senate. The college population is at high risk for HIV/AIDS because of risky behavior and lack of HIV/AIDS prevention. Many students will be at risk and will not get tested if these prevention methods and testing programs are unavailable. Helping the surrounding Lawrence and Douglas County community is essential as well. Though Kansas is a rural area, everyone has a right to get tested and stay informed. If funding is cut, those opportunities and options become less available for the population.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_White_Care_Act
Megan Carr
I enjoyed listening to Olivia Burchett speak this past week in regards to the Douglas County AIDS Project. I took a human health and sexuality course a couple semesters ago and we learned about HIV/AIDS. Something that really intrigued me was that for the first 3-6 months after infection HIV can be in undetectable by normal testing procedures. Since they test for the antibodies rather than the virus itself it can take several months for these antibodies to produce which makes the virus hard to test for. I also learned that during the first few months of infection your viral load is at it’s highest so the risk of infecting someone else is very high. HIV/AIDS is not something you can usually tell a person has, and in many cases it can be a very long time before that person even knows they have been infected with the disease. Because of these things the importance of practicing safe sex is extremely important.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of budget cutting for the Douglas County AIDS Project is an unsettling thought. The rapid testing process that Olivia was hoping their project could acquire could add extra financial need to the project which would be challenging to sustain if the financial aid for the project is cut. The importance of rapid testing could help decrease the rate of infection across a population, especially in a college town where unprotected sex is practice at a higher rate than surrounding communities.
Volunteering is a necessary and major part of the project. Being able to rely on volunteers instead of salaried employees can help the financial needs of the project. Having passionate people involved in the project can also help the people who rely on the Douglas County AIDS Project. The “buddy” system that Olivia explained in her presentation seems to be a major part of the emotional support that the project offers to it’s clients. I can imagine that many of the people who receive aid from the project could perhaps feel that they have nowhere else to turn for emotional support.
I was intrigued by the presentation from Olivia Burchett and the Douglas County Aids Project this past week in class. I had no idea this organization existed or the variety of services and outreach it provides to the Lawrence community. It caused me to think of the number of people in our community, some whom I potentially may know, who live with a positive HIV status and how life changing the diagnosis can be. However, I learned the the spread of the disease is very preventable, since DCAP offers accessible testing very close to campus. I was unaware of the social stigma that HIV diagnosed individuals have to live with. While the circumstances are better in the present, those affected formerly had to live with discrimination from schools, workplaces, and other institutions. They also face very steep medical costs, as medication necessary to keep them healthy is climbing in price every year. In some states, there is a waiting list for this medical assistance that is thousands of people long, and medication will never be available for many of them. This made me think that spreading the knowledge about HIV, AIDS, and prevention methods is now more important than ever, and I was very interested to hear about volunteering opportunities with DCAP; there are many ways to get involved, from working closely with those affected by HIV/AIDS to doing work in the office. While many volunteers there are KU students or otherwise affiliated with the university, DCAP will be losing some of the support it has enjoyed from the KU community. As Student Senate has voted to eliminate the funding regularly given to this organization, students will suffer; a very large part of this allocation was used to provide free condoms for the student body. I disagree with this movement by the Senate and don’t understand why this use of the budget was not held in higher esteem for the free benefits, testing, and awareness it provides to students.
ReplyDeleteIn my lifetime, I have only met one person who has HIV. Born to two HIV-positive parents who abused drugs and utilized used needles, Jessica has HIV and has been battling it with numerous surgeries and countless treatments. Both of her parents had died due to complications with HIV, so she is now under the care of her grandparents who are just trying to give her as much of a normal life as they can.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, though, that HIV still carries a stigma with it. People generally do not want to be in relationships with people who have HIV. They might even be scared to be around anyone with HIV. No wonder it is the case that HIV is such a hush-hush kind of subject if you have it. If you had HIV, why would you admit that you are carrying around a serious disease and risk losing your friends when you can battle it in secret or in a support group for people with HIV?
Before last Thursday’s class with Olivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project (DCAP), I thought that I knew all the important things there are to know about HIV and AIDS. In all honesty, I was surprised by many of the topics that Olivia spoke about. I thought that people with HIV would have obvious symptoms, but they do not. I thought that people with HIV were supposed to tell their partners about it to let them know their risks of contracting it, too; but they are not forced to do this.
I did not know about all the different opportunities available in our community to learn more about HIV, to get tested for HIV, to get help for HIV, or to help people with HIV. I was very surprised to hear that DCAP only has a handful of administrators and that they get most of their help from volunteers. For what appears to be like a small organization that is not too heavily funded, they seem to make a huge impact on our community by promoting awareness of HIV and offering free HIV testing with hopefully new kinds of testing coming to them soon so that they can more effectively serve the people who come to them for help. With all of these opportunities out there within our community, it would be crazy for people to not take advantage of them, especially if it could mean extending your life by a magnitude of decades if you just get tested and treated for HIV as early as you can.
--Cindy Vu
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ReplyDeleteThis week, Olivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project spoke about HIV awareness, volunteering, and risk reduction. The DCAP is a non-profit organization located in Lawrence that brings counseling, treatment, and confidentiality testing. Olivia has been there for five years and spoke with great knowledge and care towards this organization. She filled us in on the many volunteer options available and a list of six targeted individuals at risk for HIV. I learned a lot about the groups of individuals at risk for this incurable viral disease. It brought attention to my inexperience on HIV and how people transmit it, cure it, and cope with it. Olivia mentioned that it’s about the person’s awareness and attitude on handling it quickly and accurately to live a longer life then predicted. I believe this strongly because it is a major role in preventing HIV. If caught in time with proper medication, it can reduce the risks of more people getting infected. It varies by person and when it was transmitted of the amount of life is expected but people who have HIV can live many years if the medication is taken everyday, although it is very expensive. I found it interesting to know the two different types of diagnosis of HIV. One is the oral swab that is not instant but accurate. The second is called the Rapid HIV testing, which is the future of testing and takes only a few minutes for results. Olivia mentioned that DCAP is hopefully in the next few months upgrading to that kind of testing.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoyed Olivia’s presentation. Personally it was interesting for me to learn about DCAP’s support and effort it brings to the Lawrence community. It is so touching to know that people from all over are willing to volunteer openly and talk with clients suffering quietly from this disease. HIV is an emotional battle and causes a lot of stress and avoidance of talking about it. Having this clinic with monthly support groups is a strong way to treat the clients with emotional support to make sure they live each day to their fullest.
~Joanna Ferm
This week Olivia Burchett came to talk about her work with the Douglas County AIDS Project. AIDS is never a pleasant or easy thing to discuss, but important none the less. I enjoyed listening to Olivia talk about the things shes seen and what the AIDS Project is doing to help decrease the risk for people contracting the disease. I am glad to have learned about the testing services that they offer. Olivia opened my eyes to how real of a possibility contracting AIDS can be. Therefore, I might find myself getting tested in the future just for peace of mind. I think it's amazing the things that the Project does for people with AIDS. Probably the most prominent service that popped out in my mind was that for people who have just been diagnosed. It was a real eye opener when Olivia mentioned how for most people they are forced to deal with "the death of their sex life." I'm glad that there is an orginization out their helping people deal with the emotional trauma and partner notification. I also found it enlightening to learn a little some of the high risk groups for contracting the disease. For example, the fact that recently encarcerated persons are three times more likely to have an STD. More interesting however, was that Washington D.C. has a higher HIV Rate than most African Countries. This is a very intriguing statistic and makes me consider what kind of causes attribute to such a high rate in such a small area. It was also shocking to me to hear that AIDS can take up to $50000 per year to treat. I am also glad to have learned about volunteer opportunities for the orginization. I think that the buddy system that she talked about sounds really cool and like a great experience. What better service than to give someone who might feel like they just lost everything, something good to hold on to. It warms my heart to know that this is a possibility.
ReplyDeleteI was rather upset to discover that funding is about to be cut for the Douglas County AIDS Project. I think that its absurd to even consider hindering the abilities of an orginization that does so much for such a serious matter. One of the condoms that will no longer be able to be given out for free might have been the condom that would have protected someone from contracting HIV. And thats just the beginning. We need to support the Douglas Country AIDS Project and not cut their funding.
Last Friday, I had an exam in Microbiology. This exam covered viruses and specifically the Human immunodeficiency virus. It was very fitting to have a talk about AIDs and HIV on the night before my exam. As a pre-nursing student, I have been educated in anatomy, biology and the chemistry of bodily processes, but it is rare to be exposed to the actual effects some diseases have on a person’s life.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Burchett, one of the leading staff members at the Douglas County Aids Project, spoke on topics regarding HIV in our community. DCAP was originally developed to aid the high population of residents in the college community. Now, DCAP focuses on treating six groups of individuals that are thought to be high risk. Olivia meets with people one on one to do Respect counseling. At DCAP, many services are provided such as free STD tests and condoms. Any one in the community may stop by their offices to receive such services.
Going into class on Thursday, I was uneducated on many specifics about how HIV may affect a person who suffers from the virus. First of all, treatment is so expensive! Some inflicted with HIV have to take eight to twenty pills a day and spend $12,000-15,000 on medications per year. There is an AIDs drug assistance program, but funding is low in some parts of the country. Florida has over 4,000 people on the wait list! This is so alarming to me because if people are not getting their medications they need, risks of other people being infected goes up, which would only make funding more difficult. One other issue that I found upsetting was the KU Senate’s proposal to cut funding DCAP. 75% of all of the services DCAP provides are to KU students. DCAP is one very beneficial and necessary program to have in many college student’s lives. I felt impelled to attend the meeting coming up to support DCAP. Thursdays meeting was very successful. I believe DCAP earned a lot of support from Alternative Breakers and will receive that support to encourage KU senate not to cut funding for DCAP.
This week’s Alternative Break meeting was centered on the social problem of HIV/AIDS. This illness plagues many of our nation’s youth, participants of drug use, and a large portion of the nation’s homosexual men. According to Olivia Burchett, our guest speaker, and Preventive Director at the Douglas Country Aids Program many of these individuals are not receiving the aid they need. For many of those affected by AIDS, the financial weight of paying for cocktail of medications to fight infection and the disease itself, is beyond their means. In order to help such individuals, our nation has developed funding programs such as AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). However, with a recession, and large scale budget cuts, combated by high unemployment, ADAP has been on the chopping block.
ReplyDeleteNPR reported in July 2010, this cut back on the part of federal and state government has had detrimental effects on victims of AIDS. Hit hardest by this loss in funding is the state of Florida. In Florida more than 1.4 million individuals currently hold the status of unemployed, while a whopping 3.5 million are uninsured. According to NPR, the need for medical assistance and testing in the aspect of AIDS is only on an upward slope. However, the present number of nearly 170,000 people who can’t afford their AIDS medications, and are still in need of aid that has been rendered unavailable to them.
What does this mean for AID victims across the nation? For those individuals without the means to pay for medication, it means a life battling AIDS without vital medical supplies. In many states, individuals are on waiting lists months long, waiting for ADAP’s help. Meanwhile, thousands struggle without the medications necessary to maintain a decent quality of life.
In a country as modern as the United States, we are not provided the adequate means to support citizens with illness and disease. By treating this devastating illness and providing preventative care, it is possible to greatly diminish the impact of AIDS. However, by removing the medical care necessary, we are continuing a vicious cycle of illness within our country.
NPR Article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128365820&sc=emaf
Olivia Burchett visited our class to discuss DCAP, an organization that is most relevant to my Breaks group, the Houston AIDS Foundation. She filled us in on some hard facts about HIV spread and prevention, and what DCAP does as a service. A staff of five hired workers, funded by KDHE, works in the areas of prevention, testing, and counseling/support. She described the most high-risk individuals as those who already had been infected with STDs, the recently incarcerated, drug users/needle sharers, heterosexual black women, and men over the age of 24 who have sex with men.
ReplyDeleteApparently, testing by DCAP is free and painless. I may get myself tested soon too. An oral swab sure isn't going to ruin my day. I doubt I'm at a high risk for infection, given that 3,600 in Kansas have HIV, but it is definitely a good process to promote. I wasn't the most responsible when I first became sexually active. Having spent most of my life sheltered from sexual information by an abstinence-only education, it really doesn't hurt to be reminded to be safe. You think you hear "use a condom" enough times, but there are plenty of people who don't. Ideally, in the utopian future, no one will think twice about donning a rubber.
She described the heartbreaking process of helping an HIV-infected person cope with and treat HIV. I would be devastated by a diagnosis. I think that the most difficult part would be returning to past sexual partners and breaking the news to them. Then there's the guilt of possibly having infected someone else. That's something I just couldn't live with. Which is partly why I have become more responsible with safe sex. The idea that I could be a carrier of HPV virus or worse is a horrible possibility. The average person is far too lax about testing, and the "have you been tested..." conversation is an awkward one.
Olivia said one in eight persons in Washington, DC is infected with HIV. In an American society, where most people have full access to affordable health services, an epidemic of that scale is horrifying. In third-world African countries, it must be absolute mayhem. I'm proud of the support I will be giving the Houston AIDS Foundation, even if it ends up being bitch work. Being a very hands-on and empathetic person, I hope that we will get to work one-on-one with HIV/AIDS patients, but it's entirely possible that they won't consider college students adequately prepared for that kind of a job.
Olivia also said that DCAP is up for a funding cut under the Student Senate, which angered me to no end. I had heard that GaDuGi and Willow were also being cut. When shaving off money from your budget, who decides that AIDS prevention and rape crisis centers are the first to go? I've heard of some pretty dishonorable monetary practices from a friend of mine who used to work for Student Senate. I will be raising my voice against these cuts.
--Laurie Winkel
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ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how HIV and AIDS have gone from unheard of a few decades ago to where we are today. Aids and HIV were identified during a time when media was able to report on the spread of the disease. While there was a great deal of controversy about how aids was contracted and spread it remained in the news and had such high visibility that we have made tremendous progress in handling the spread of the disease. We know much more now than we did a when the disease was identified. The high profile attention that has accompanied this epidemic has put it in the awareness of almost every American. Just the fact that in the relatively short time span of a quarter century we have gone from death sentence to manageable for a fairly long period of time is remarkable. It is still a horrible disease and the costs and symptoms are not something anyone should have to deal with. With all the information available it is amazing that there are still so many populations at high risk.
ReplyDeleteThis week we heard from Olivia Burchett, a staff member at the Douglas County Aids Project. DCAP was originally developed to work with the residents in the college community. Now, DCAP focuses on treating six groups of individuals that are thought to be high risk. Olivia meets with people one on one to do Respect counseling. The DCAP, also provides services such as free STD tests and condoms. Anyone in the community may stop by their offices to receive such services. I do not personally know anyone with HIV. I do however have family members at high risk. I am glad there are organizations which are continuing to educate and support people with HIV and AIDS. Without this service there would certainly be more devastation to a great number of lives.
Olivia Burchett from the Douglass County AIDS project opened my eyes a little wider to an epidemic problem that has plagued not only our Country but also the rest of the world. I was always aware of HIV/AIDS especially the devastation they have caused to third world countries in Africa, but it was very interesting to think that there are plenty of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS right in our own backyard. It was nice to see someone openly talk about a subject that is thrown into the dark in our society because of the harsh moral judgment that is associated with HIV/AIDS. I think the harsh way our society perceives the disease only makes it even harder to treat and prevent. Olivia was right when she said, “knowledge is power”. If more people were educated on the topic of HIV/Aids then there would be less negative connotations to the disease and it would be easier to treat and prevent.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most shocking statistics I heard in Olivia’s presentation was that 1 in 8 people living in our Country’s Capital, D.C., is living with HIV, which is more than some countries’ in West Africa. It is crazy to think that in the Capital of one of the most wealthy, educated, and industrialized countries there is such a high rate of the disease. This is proof that there is not enough awareness and education about HIV/Aids in our country. HIV can more easily be prevented if people just had the knowledge and were aware of the disease and it is up to our generation to make that possible and put it into to action. Olivia’s presentation was definitely an eye-opening experience for me and I think that there needs to presentations like this one more often not only on our campus but throughout more college and high school campuses in country.
Olivia Burchett came to talk about HIV awareness, education and support on Thursday night. It was very interesting topic since I never talk about it with my friends. It was very astonishing that when she said there are one in eight people are affected by the HIV in Washington DC. And there are more people infected by the HIV in DC than South Africa. Washington DC is such a small city but some people don’t have access to the contraception and the numbers of the HIV infection increases. I’m sure the number of the HIV infection is increasing everywhere in the world, not only in Washington DC. As Olivia told us during the lecture that people have the knowledge of having safe sex and protect themselves but they don’t practice it. Because we tend to think that “I will not get it” or “I’m not the one”. Especially, when people are drunk, they cannot think clearly and tend to make wrong decisions. This is sad to see that we are not taking care of our bodies. Also, I was amazed by how volunteers are involved in Douglas County AIDS Project. Olivia said that there are only 4 workers and others are all volunteers. I’m so glad to hear that so many people are willing to help other people and spend their time on other people. Also, I didn’t know that volunteers test HIV procedure at KU. It sounds very simple process and it will not take much time either so, I think the KU students should know more about this program and use it efficiently. I think we need to use this great opportunity to check the HIV and be cautious about our behaviors. Also, I need to spread the words about HIV testing and tell people that earlier they find it they have more years to live. I am so glad that I had a chance to learn about HIV.
ReplyDeleteIn Thursdays class we talked about HIV aids and how many people it affects and what is going on to help this decrease spreading and awareness. Overall I thought it was very interesting because I, myself, do not know much about HIV aids and have never known to talked to someone who has it. I was personally interested in two main things, the extent to which they take serious precautions about confidentiality and the precautions of telling or not telling your partner and how that affects the law.
ReplyDeleteOne topic brought up was about a care provider where the individual that had HIV is partnered up with another person to do activities outside of there life. The meaning behind this is that there is a huge confidentiality process and that this makes a place for those with HIV to be able to be themselves and fully reveal it around their “friend.” She even mentioned that some have become friends for over five years! That is awesome. Another thing is that you are not just paired up with anyone. These people are paired with another that has similar interests and lifestyles.
One question that was brought up was is it illegal to tell or not tell your partner. It was clarified that if you are un-aware of having HIV and you un-intentionally infect your partner, that you are not responsible. The other side is that if you did intentionally know that you are a carrier of HIV and you infect your partner, it is illegal and becomes a huge issue. I would have liked to know more on this topic because, I believe that even if they didn’t know they were infected, they should be responsible. How are are you going to encourage people to get the shot?
I have personally seen the area for free HIV testing in the union several times, and even though I like to be aware of my health, I have NOT stopped to get tested. I think that the awareness of being tested is not enough widely known and that if there is no reason, such as you can’t get in trouble, then why would I want to get tested and know that I have HIV? That just sounds horrible, yet it should be a precaution that we should all be aware of and should be highly encouraged to get tested. One thing that she said was that in DC there is about 1 in 8 persons that have HIV. And with so many not practicing safe sex, I feel that there needs to be a wider knowledge in our world about the effects and why you should get tested that versus the other side that is just knowing and supporting those with HIV. Now I agree to both sides, but more emphasis should be on those who have never been tested. Could this possibly become a law and process that everyone needs to get tested yearly?
-Kelsey Connolly
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ReplyDeleteThe dreadful effects of HIV and AIDS are something that everyone has heard about, but it is not something that everyone understands or is able to comprehend the life changing consequences of. Olivia Burchett's job is to help with the education of these frightful penalties and to provide aid to those in need. I cannot imagine working in such a position as she, working with people who are living with HIV and AIDS. People who will have this disease for the rest of their life, people who have the potential to infect others with this life threatening disease if they are not careful. It takes a very resilient and amazing person to be able to do this, Olivia is one of those people.
ReplyDeleteHer presentation highlighted the difficulties of living with HIV and AIDS. One of the biggest difficulties is the monetary feat put in front of you for the medications that must be taken. The medications cost from $12,000 to $50,000 per year, an incredible feat for anyone and most victims of HIV and AIDS are not in the top tier of economic classes making these medications a very troublesome potion of their budget. She did point of though that a persons life expectancy without the meds is 10 years, but if they take the medications your life expectancy is extended to 69 years. The medications provide an opportunity to continue your life with the disease. One interesting point she made on that note though is that with the disease come the death of your sex life. I thought this was a very interesting way to look at HIV and AIDS. Since the disease is transmitted through sexual activity the person cannot proceed with this practice. HIV and AIDS affects so many angles of a persons life, it is astounding. I was amazed when Olivia told us that the HIV/AIDS percentage in Washington DC was 1 in 8 people, and that this rate is higher than some countries in Africa.
Olivia gave a quote during her presentation, “Knowledge is power”. This really struck me as she explained this saying that being educated instead of just shooing the thought of something like HIV and AIDS under the carpet provides you the opportunity allows you to highten your own perception of your own risk. I really respect this, I feel that it is very important to be educated in anything and everything that you have the opportunity to know. You can help yourself and other in being safe and protecting eachother.
This week, Olivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project spoke about HIV awareness, volunteering, and risk reduction. The DCAP is a non-profit organization located in Lawrence that brings counseling, treatment, and confidentiality testing. Olivia has been there for five years and spoke with great knowledge and care towards this organization. She filled us in on the many volunteer options available and a list of six targeted individuals at risk for HIV. I learned a lot about the groups of individuals at risk for this incurable viral disease. It brought attention to my inexperience on HIV and how people transmit it, cure it, and cope with it. Olivia mentioned that it’s about the person’s awareness and attitude on handling it quickly and accurately to live a longer life then predicted. I believe this strongly because it is a major role in preventing HIV. If caught in time with proper medication, it can reduce the risks of more people getting infected. It varies by person and when it was transmitted of the amount of life is expected but people who have HIV can live many years if the medication is taken everyday, although it is very expensive. I found it interesting to know the two different types of diagnosis of HIV. One is the oral swab that is not instant but accurate. The second is called the Rapid HIV testing, which is the future of testing and takes only a few minutes for results. Olivia mentioned that DCAP is hopefully in the next few months upgrading to that kind of testing.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoyed Olivia’s presentation. Personally it was interesting for me to learn about DCAP’s support and effort it brings to the Lawrence community. It is so touching to know that people from all over are willing to volunteer openly and talk with clients suffering quietly from this disease. HIV is an emotional battle and causes a lot of stress and avoidance of talking about it. Having this clinic with monthly support groups is a strong way to treat the clients with emotional support to make sure they live each day to their fullest.
~Joanna Ferm
ok.... I posted earlier and had a post that was 438 words and it showed up fine, now it doesn't show my post at all!! What is going on?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I did not know much about AIDS before Olivia Burchett talked to our class. To be honest, a lot of what she talked about reminded me of the Broadway musical and movie RENT. I knew the basic facts about HIV and AIDS but not the statistics or how many people are actually effected by it in Kansas as well as the U.S. today. It was very interesting to hear her talk because it is a serious matter and she takes her job seriously. She is so passionate about helping people and that was shown in her speech. One thing I found particularly interesting was the new advancements in testing. She talked about how the testing method that has been most commonly used could take from 10 to 14 days to get the results. In this method, a swab test is taken from the inside of the mouth. Although she said it is almost always accurate, it takes a long time and it could be hard for someone to have to wait that long for results that could drastically change their life. Now, there is a new quicker method that takes about 20 minutes to get the results back. In this method, there is a simple prick of the finger to test the blood. Not only is it quicker, but also more efficient because it is directly testing a person’s blood, where the disease would be if they have it. Another thing that Olivia talked about that I thought was very beneficial was the volunteer buddy system. Some people that go to the clinic are not able to tell their family or friends so the staff and volunteers are the only people who they can be themselves around. The volunteer program pairs the patients with a volunteer to be their buddy through everything that they are dealing with. They are there for them to go to doctor appointments or just hang out and go to a movie. As Olivia said, the patients really appreciate the support from their buddies and look forward to hanging out with them. Olivia and her staff work so hard to help people in need of their assistance and many of their services are free. They are great people serving in the Lawrence community and deserve recognition for all that they do.
ReplyDeleteHearing Olivia Burchett talk about AIDS and HIV this week really broadened my knowledge of how this disease really affects the communities and the people that have it. I was aware that the disease was becoming more common and knew of the biological effects it had on the body. Though, I was completely unaware of the fact that there are so many people living with HIV, in Kansas alone the number was over 3000, and that’s just the people that know they have it. According to the NCHHSTP State Health profile for Kansas, about 50 percent of HIV AIDS carriers are unaware of their status. This is frightening news and good incentive to practice safe sex. It was sad hearing her talk about some of the people that she works with everyday, living with HIV and not being able to tell their partners, experiencing the death of their sex life. I can only make false empathy for how they are feeling, but I can see how it would be extremely hard to find out news like that. It just makes me wonder how many people out there might know that they have HIV or AIDS and still have sex without telling their partners. The disease is more and more common these days, though it is still looked upon as such a terrible thing. It is awful that people will choose not to be friends with someone who has HIV because of their condition, even though most people should know by now that HIV cannot be transmitted through saliva or by being near someone with the disease. It was good to hear that they have the buddy system set up to support carriers of the disease who need a friend. Overall, it was good hearing from Olivia because I already knew about what HIV does to the body, but I had no idea of the devastating social effects it can have on someone who carries the disease.
ReplyDeleteThis week's speaker, Olivia Burchett, was particularly interesting to me because I am going to Houston to work with the Houston AIDS project. Olivia was a wonderful speaker; she was well-informed and spoke easily about a topic that puts many on edge. Her presentation was very helpful because it gave me a better idea of the types of people with the highest risk of contracting HIV, and thus the types of people we will likely be working with in Houston. She also dispelled a few myths about HIV and AIDS, such as the idea that it is almost exclusively a disease spread in the gay community. Although men who have sex with men are in the high risk group, they are not alone; African American women and college-aged youth fall into this category as well, broadening it tremendously. Although I knew AIDS was a problem in the United States, I had no idea it was so prevalent in certain areas like Washington, D.C. If I remember correctly, Olivia said that about 1 in every 4 people (and I don't think I'm remembering correctly) have HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C., which is truly shocking. I wish she had expounded upon that a bit by telling us why that is.
ReplyDeleteWhen a student asked her about the decision by the Student Senate to cut funding to the Douglas County AIDS Project, Olivia spoke with grace, even though it was clear that she was upset by the possibility of losing that funding. She said most of their outreach programs to KU students would no longer be possible, and because KU students fall into the high-risk group, these programs are incredibly important to us as a student body. This encouraged me to plan to attend the Student Senate meeting on Wednesday and show support for reversing the decision to cut funding to DCAP and other incredibly important resources, such as the Willow Domestic Violence Center. I sincerely hope that Student Senate can be convinced to reverse their decision and keep funding DCAP so they can continue providing their invaluable services to KU students, such as free condoms and HIV testing.
Olivia Burchett came in and talked about her AIDS project and all of the things that they supply through their non profit organization. I was prepped with facts and statistics about HIV/AIDs my junior year before I went to South Africa for two weeks. There I would be working with children that had all been affected by HIV/AIDs. South Africa has one of the highest HIV/AIDs population. HIV/AIDs can be acquired through blood transfusions, drug users that share needles, through breast milk, and through sexual intercourse.
ReplyDeleteOne in every four people in South Africa have HIV/AIDs virus. One reason that most children attain AIDs is through breast feeding from their mother. A sad statistic is that there is actually a better life expectancy for children who are breast fed and getting AIDs then for the children to not be breast fed and to be given the malnutritious formula. So that is one way that it is being spread to all of the youth in South Africa. There are also myths that if you have HIV/AIDs if you have sexual intercourse with a virgin you will be healed of the deadly virus. This myth is not true and main reason why it is important for third world countries to be educated on the facts of HIV/Aids and break them from believing these myths that only spread the virus more.
One thing that Olivia menchioned that sets America apart for South Africa is our ability to get access to the medicines for HIV/AIDs. She said that many people in Florida are on the waiting list which is very scary because if they do not get the medicine, they are highly contagious and at more risk to spreading HIV/AIDs to others. Well in South Africa so many of the people that have HIV/AIDs are under the poverty line. In South Africa you must be tested for HIV/AIDs then you have a 6 month trial run to prove that you are healthy, and consistently taking the medicine, then if you come back and do not pass the test, you do not get to attain the actual medicine. Let a lone, if you do pass the test they do not have the money to pay for the medicine. So few people can even pass the test, then the rest that do are not able to afford the medicine, so they continue to go without medicine, and with out knowledge of how to prevent it from spreading which makes it a very prominent disease there. It is always very important for people to be educated on the viruse HIV/AIDs, how to prevent it and how to get tested.
The newsworthiness of the university’s funding of the Douglas County AIDS Project demonstrates the relevance of HIV education and services to society today. One of the most interesting aspects is the cycle of attacks HIV imposes upon a host’s body. After the initial exposure period, HIV attacks the immune system after which it goes into a dormant state for up to 10 years. During this period, there are few to no symptoms to warn a victim before they have reached full blown AIDS. This is alarming since few people regularly get checkups or tested for any illnesses unless they experience bothersome symptoms. Due to lack of education, it is of paramount importance that testing facilities are able to advertise their services. Without treatment, someone exposed to HIV has an estimated 5 years to live while someone who undergoes treatment has a life expectancy of closer to 10 years. The urgency for treatment is extremely important, and is a cause that is beginning to cross the social boundaries. There has historically been a hostile attitude towards the promotion of safe sex and HIV testing due to the staunch support of total abstinence. Today, the public is starting to realize that this is a serious illness and its prevention is worth a shift in social perceptions. Awareness is the best tool in dealing with any maladies, especially those that do not present themselves so obviously. Olivia Burchett’s presentation was very passionate and convincing. The fact that clinic she runs is absolutely free is incredible. In an age where medical care is outrageously overpriced and often creates social turmoil, it is refreshing to know that there is help for those without access to healthcare. Olivia seemed to have the hope that I imagine someone dealing with this illness would need when going through such a hard time. Her presentation was revealing and informative on many levels, even in dealing with university policy.
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