Knowing that you are HIV positive poses new challenges but is not the end of the world. Being HIV positive does not mean you have AIDS. While there is no medicine or treatment to cure HIV, there are several medicines that can keep the virus in check, protecting the immune system from damage and thus slowing the progression of HIV to AIDS. There are many people who are HIV positive but living a healthy life. With proper medical care and by taking care of yourself, you can live a long healthy life with HIV allowing you to achieve your goals and dreams in life.

There are a number of things you can do as way of living positively with HIV.

Learn all what you can about HIV

Knowing as much as you can about HIV is one of the most powerful weapons in your fight against the virus. Learn about how HIV weakens the body immune system, types of treatment available, how to prevent re-infection and infecting others etc.

Choose a counselor

Find a counselor who you can relate to, who understands HIV/AIDS and the challenges of living with HIV and who is prepared to be there for you in an ongoing and flexible way. The counselor will listen to your worries and what you are going through and will give you professional advice.

Choose a healthcare provider

You need to choose a healthcare provider you trust and fell comfortable with. The healthcare provider needs to have a lot of experience dealing and treating people with HIV/AIDS. You will need to regularly visit the HIV doctor for monitoring your viral load and CD4 count. In case of medication, your doctor will need to prescribe the right doses and schedule for taking ARVs. You need to consult your doctor whenever you don’t feel well with the medication or you have undesirable side-effects. Seek medical care quickly when infections such as bronchitis, rush and skin sores appear.

Join HIV positive support groups

Knowing that you are not alone and being connected with other people living with HIV and AIDS can be a powerful source of support and an important resource. By sharing your experiences and worries with other people living with HIV, you can reduce anxieties, learn new strategies for coping with HIV and build new friendship with people who are facing similar challenges.

Make healthy lifestyle choices

Your lifestyle choices affect how well your treatment works well in the future.
Exercise regularly but not strenuous exercises. Exercising strengthens muscles, improves mood, relieves stress and increases appetite.
Don’t feel guilty or ashamed and have a positive attitude towards yourself and others.
Eat plenty of food which is rich in protein, vitamins and carbohydrates.
Avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol can make medications like ARVs less effective and reduces appetite. It also can lead to risky behavior.
Avoid smoking because it increases the risk of illness and infections like pneumonia.
Reduce stress and worry by knowing that there are many useful people who are living with HIV and by participating in socializing activities.
Abstain from sex or and if you are sexually active be mutually faithful to a single partner  and always use a latex condom correctly every time you have sex to prevent you from re-infection with HIV, infection from other sexually transmitted infections and infecting others. Remember you have a big role to play in the prevention of the spread of HIV.

Adhere to doctors’ prescriptions for medication

In case the doctor recommends ARVs medication to you, take every dose of ARV medication on schedule. ARVs don’t cure AIDS. Some stop the HIV from entering body cells and others stop HIV from making copies of themselves (replicating). You   must take ARVs exactly in the right amounts of each medicine and at the right times and frequency as described by the doctor. The goal is to keep the right amount of each medicine in your body at all times. This helps to keep the viral load (amount of HIV in your body) low and the CD4 count high. Skipping doses, gives the virus a chance to change form (mutate) and become resistant to the medication. Your medicine might not be able to control the new form of HIV.

Tell your parents and trusted close relatives and friends about your HIV status

Parents and very close friends are an important part of your support system, being open to them about your HIV status as early as possible will help you to deal with the infection. Your parents may have a number of questions about how you got infected. You can get help with telling your parents about your HIV status from your counselor. Though difficult, you need to tell your parents because you will need their financial and emotional support and care.

HIV and AIDS are acronyms. An acronym is a word formed from the first letters of a series of words.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human: Disease that affects human
Immunodeficiency: Breakdown in the body’s defense system
Virus:    Microscopic organism that feeds off living cells

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Acquired: Contracted by the sick person during his or her life
Immune:  Affecting the body’s immune system
Deficiency: Weakness
Syndrome: All the signs characterize a disease

How HIV destroys the persons’ immune system

When one gets infected with HIV, the HIV travels in the blood stream attacking the CD4 cells. CD4 cells are an important part of the immune system. The immune system is a group of organs and special cells that protect the body from germs and disease. The CD4 cells in the body act like soldiers to find, attack and destroy infected cells.

When HIV enters the healthy CD4 cell, it uses a chemical to change the cell’s genetic information- the information the cell uses to make new cells. The cell is forced to make HIV, just like it would make new cells such as new skin cells. The production of HIV repeats itself over and over again. The HIV therefore uses the CD4 cells as a virus–making factory to make lots of copies of itself.  The CD4 cell is now infected and is destroyed in the process because it no longer makes substances that help the body protect itself from diseases.

The new HIV mature and leave the CD4 cell into the blood stream. The new HIV travels in the blood stream attacking and destroying more CD4 cells. As more CD4 cells die, the body’s immune system grows weaker and weaker.
As more copies of HIV are made, the amount of HIV in the body increases, further weakening the immune system. A weak immune system makes it hard for the body to fight germs and avoid infections.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. HIV infection can be by blood-to-blood contact, from mother to child and sexually through direct bodily fluids (semen and vaginal fluids). A person with HIV in the body is referred to as HIV positive.

HIV is a retro virus meaning it needs cells from a “host” in order to make copies of itself (replication). When HIV enters the body, it uses CD4 cells to make copies of itself or to replicate.

In the body, there are CD4 cells which are a specialized type of white blood cells that are part of the immune system. The CD4 cells initiate the body’s response to invading infections like viruses.

When in the body, HIV attacks the CD4 cells and uses these cells to make copies of its self damaging them in the process. As more copies of HIV are made, the amount of HIV in the blood increases and more and more CD4 cells are destroyed.
As the number of CD4 cells in the body decreases, the body’s immune system (body’s ability to protect its self from infections and diseases) reduces. The fewer the functioning CD4 cells, the weaker the immune system and therefore the more vulnerable a person is to infections and decreases. A person with a very weak immune system can easily suffer from “opportunistic infections” which rarely cause harm in healthy individuals.

The number of CD4 cells per cubic millimeter  of blood is called CD4 count. In a healthy adult the CD4 count is (600-1,200). If the CD4 count is less than 200, the immune system is severely weakened and the HIV positive person is at a very high risk of getting “opportunistic infections”.

AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An HIV positive person is said to have AIDS when the CD4 count is less than 200 or when suffering from certain types of opportunistic infections such as Tuberculosis. It is important to know that not all HIV positive people have AIDS.

The time between HIV infection and progressing to AIDS differs for each person and depends on many factors, including a person’s health status, health-related behaviours and access to health care.
While there is no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) which tries to prevent the virus from replication can slow the progression from HIV infection to AIDS.

Women are more than twice as likely to acquire HIV from an infected partner during unprotected sexual intercourse as  men. A combination of biological, social and economic factors contribute to young women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV infection.

•  Young women are among the most vulnerable to HIV infection because their genital tracts have less mature tissue which may be more easily torn. 
•  Young women are often victims of coercive or forced sex. Forced sex can contribute to HIV transmission due to tears resulting from the use of force. 
•  Economic and social dependence on men limits the power of women to refuse sex or negotiate the use of condoms. 
•  Many young women lack information about sex and reproductive health and disease prevention including HIV prevention. 
• Young women may also lack access to health care and education. 
•  Young women are often less able to negotiate for safer sex due to reasons such as their lower status, economic dependence, fear of violence and low self-esteem. 
•  Young women’s limited economic opportunities and relative powerlessness may force them into survival sex. 
•  Young women are increasingly being targeted for sex by older men seeking safer sex partners and also who erroneously believe that a man infected with HIV/AIDS will get rid of the disease by having sex with a virgin.

What is a drug?

A drug is a chemical substance solid, liquid or gas that is capable of changing a person’s mood, perception and behaviour.  Most drugs affect the central nervous system. They act on the brain and change the way the person thinks, feels or behaves.

Types of drugs

There are different types of drugs among which are depressants, stimulants and anabolic agents (steroids).

Depressants are drugs that slow down the functions of the nervous system . Depressants affect concentration and coordination and slow down a person’s ability to respond to unexpected situations. Sleeping pills and alcohol are some of the common depressants.

Stimulants act on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain. They make the person feel more awake, alert or confident, elevate mood and able to resist fatigue. Stimulants increase heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and sometimes talkativeness. Mild stimulants include Nicotine in tobacco and strong stimulants include Cocaine.

Anabolic steroids which are hormones. Anabolic means growing or building. Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, a natural male hormone. Testosterone is the primary male hormone responsible for the development of masculine traits. Though testosterone is thought of as a “male hormone produce in the testes in men, it is also produced in smaller amounts in women’s bodies by the ovary.
Anabolic steroids are used to enhance athletic performance in a number of ways:

• To trim body fat faster
• To increase muscle size
• To faster post workout muscle recovery
• In order to train harder and more often.

Why do some young people take to drugs?

There are a number of reasons why some young people take to drugs. Some of the reasons may appear to be good reasons at first but remember appearance can sometimes be deceptive.

These reasons may include:

• A boost to courage and self-confidence.
• An aid to overcoming shyness so as to make social contacts easier.
• Experiment and explore new experiences.
• A quick fix to alleviate boredom.
• A means to escape problems or depression often brought about by poverty, family problems, frustrations and unhealthy or broken relationships.
• A yearning to get high and to intensify feelings.
• Curiosity and “because others are doing it”. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to this because of the strong influence of peer pressure.
• To do better. The increasing pressure that some people feel to chemically enhance or improve their athletic performance can play a role in initial experimentation or continued drug abuse.

The excitement of taking drugs does not last long due to the long term dangerous consequences.

Some of the consequences of drug abuse

The consequences of drug abuse depend on the type of drug, the dose taken, how the drug is taken, the frequency and duration of the drug.

Some of the consequences of drug abuse include:

• Distorted perception and difficulty thinking and solving problems.
• Loss of desire to achieve and disenchanted with life. Bored easily and would rather sit around and get high (addicted).
• Eroded logical thinking.
• Psychological difficulties (confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety).
• Being shaky, irritable, anxious and depressed.
• Aggressiveness and violent behavior.
• Decreased muscular coordination and reduced sexual drive.
• Decreased learning ability and loss of memory

Negative peer pressure from friends is being forced into doing something by your friends against your will.
Refusing negative peer pressure from friends is a technique that everyone can pick up. The degree of difficulty will depend on where you are, the situation you might find yourself in and what your friends are pressurizing you to do. There is no clear cut way of resisting peer pressure but here are a few suggestions.

1.   Examine your situation. Listen for phrases that spell trouble-
   “Everybody is doing it. What is stopping you?”
    “You should try everything at least once. Experience is the best teacher”
    “Don’t be a coward. There is really no big deal”
    “Laws and rules are there to be bent”
   Whatever the situation, if it makes you feel uneasy or seems risky, tell your friends so and give them your reasons. If that fails, walk away.
2. Always weigh out the consequences- Will it affect your health? Will you be breaking the school rule or the law? What will happen to you if you are caught? How will it affect your schooling and future life? Are you ready for the consequences? What are your instincts or sixth sense telling you?
   Never do something bad or which will have negative consequences on you simply for the sake of pleasing your friends.
   Ask for help from a trusted adult. A lot of adults will have been confronted by the same dilemmas you are facing now. Teachers, religious leaders, counselors and family friends are all ready to help you.
   When you have made your decision, stick to it. You will have proved you are in control of your own life and true friends will also respect you for your decisions.
3. With a little imagination, you can refuse without saying the word “NO” and without losing your friends. Suggest something you all enjoy doing as alternative e.g. music, dance, drama, sports, religious activities etc.
4. Use your parents or guardians as an excuse.
   “My father will be very cross with me and may even refuse to pay my school fees if he found I did such a thing”

If all else fails, just walk away. May be your friends are not good friends.

The phrase “Peer Pressure” comes from two words; peer and pressure.

A peer is someone in your own age group or social group like a classmate or schoolmate.

Pressure is the feeling that you are being pushed towards making a certain choice –good or bad.

Peer pressure is the feeling that someone in your own age group or social group is pushing you to change your attitude, values or behavior to conform to group norms –good or bad.
Peer pressure can also refer to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values or behavior in order to conform to the group norms- good or bad. A boy may be challenged by the group to prove his manhood by having a girlfriend and having sex with her. A group of girls may make fun of the way another girl is dressed, pressuring members of the group to dress only in one acceptable style. A group of ambitious, academically hardworking students may influence an academically lazy student in the group to read harder to improve on the grades.

The pressure to conform (to do what others are doing or going along with the crowd) may be difficult to resist because it is part of human nature for people to want to be accepted and liked by their peers. Also when people are unaware of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for clues about what is acceptable and not acceptable.

Young people especially, find it difficult to resist peer pressure because they need to belong and be accepted by their peers and because young people are more willing to behave negatively towards those who are not members of their peer group or those members who don’t conform to the group norms. As a result, peer pressure can influence the choices young people make – contributing to poor decisions or reinforcing good decisions.

Peer pressure is not always bad. There is good peer pressure and bad peer pressure. Good peer pressure is called positive peer pressure and bad peer pressure is called negative peer pressure.

Negative peer pressure is when your peers influence you to do something maybe you don’t really want to do or is not in your best interest or may be bad to your health or whose consequencies you are not ready for e.g. drinking  alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, engaging in sex activities, escaping from schools etc. Negative peer pressure can get you in trouble with your parents, with the school or even with the law. At school, negative peer pressure may lead to lower school attendance, drop in grades or even school dropout.

Positive peer pressure is when your peers influence you to do good things such as getting involved in school activities or doing things to help you reach your goals. Sometimes you need positive peer pressure when you don’t have quite the courage to do something and your peers give you the extra push or self-esteem to follow through with it. This type of peer pressure can lead you to great things like new found talents, good grades, positive attitude, higher self-esteem and self-confidence. At school, positive peer influence may your improve grades, improve your confidence and make you try out more things or getting more involved in school activities.

While some girls go through their periods with no or very little pain, others experience painful periods often accompanied by fatigue and even dizziness. This pain is usually felt in the pelvic area and lower abdomen. Menstrual pain is one of the most frequent causes of absenteeism from school among girls.

As part of the menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus (womb) grows and thickens in anticipation of holding a fertilized egg. If no egg is fertilized, the thickened lining of the uterus has to be shaded off in form of menstrual blood.
The pain during the period is thought to be due to the forceful contractions of the womb (uterus) to open up the cervix (neck of the uterus) to expel the menstrual blood. These contractions are caused by the prostaglandin hormones. These hormones stimulate the contractions of the uterus during the period. These contractions compress the blood vessels to the uterus cutting off the blood supply and depriving the tissues of blood. Too little blood to the uterine muscle may cause pain. Some girls produce an excess of prostaglandin hormones causing too little blood to the uterus muscle leading to excessive pain. The good news is that the pains become milder as one becomes older.

A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel applied to the abdomen and eating iron-rich foods (eggs, meat, poultry, and fish), fresh fruits and vegetables can give relief.

Lust is a strong sexual desire or a strong sexual attraction towards someone usually based on physical appearance and looks. It is lust if even before you know someone’s name, you are already fantasizing about what it would be like having sex with the person. Lust is when you like and value part of the person like the body and you are not concerned about the other persons’ emotions or mind.
Partners in a lustful relationship come close only to have fun and place their needs and wants ahead of those of their partners and don’t have any commitment plans in their minds. A relationship based on lust can only last as long as the two people are physically close and find each other sexually attractive. Once that physical desire ends, the interest in the person may also end and looks for another person.

Love is an emotion for another person and is not selfish. Love is when you care about someone more than you care about yourself and you put that person’s needs and wants before yours. Love is when you like and respect the whole person (body, heart, mind, emotions). Love is given freely without any expectation of receiving anything in return. In love you share joy and sorrow and you are always there for each other’s needs. Love does not need sex to survive or even thrive. Even if the person you love tells you sex will have to wait, you don’t care. Love is based on complete trust and mutual understanding and people in love have commitment plans in mind.

As a person, you will have relationships with a lot of people including your parents, friends and classmates. These relationships are not necessarily intimate relationships.
A healthy relationship is based on respect and trust for one another.

It’s when:

• You have fun together.
• You both feel like you can be yourself.
• You are not forced to do anything against your will for the sake of pleasing your partner or just to conform to what your partner wants.
• You both can have different opinions and interests.
• You listen to each other.
• None of you is forced into sex just as a way of proving love or paying back for gifts.
• You trust each other.
• You can compromise, say sorry and take arguments out.
• You don’t have to spend all your free time together- you can spend some time on your own or with your own friends and family.
• You both are accepted for what you are.
• Your  both respect each others feelings, physical and emotional boundaries.