Agenda - Council - 05/28/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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What Does Someone With AIDS Look Like? It is x'e~' important that everyone understands that a person can be inikcted with the AIDS virus without showing am, symptoms at all. It is possible to be ini'ected for years, feel fine, look fine and have no way of knowing you arc infected unless you have a test for the AIDS virus. During this period, however, people infected with thc AIDS virus can pass the virus to sexual partners, to people with whom drug needles arc shared, and to children befbre or during birth. That is one of the most disturbing things about AIDS. Once symptoms do appear, they are similar to thc symptoms of some other diseases. As thc disease progresses, they become more serious. That is because the AIDs virus keeps },our body's natural defenses from operating correctly. If you are concerned whether you might be infected, consider your own behavior and its effects on others. If you feel you need to be test- ed for the AIDS virus, talk to a doctor or an AIDS counselor for more information. (See below.) "Tou can ~t tell if someone has been infecrcd by the AIDS virus by looking at him or her. But aren't,in dange; of geeing the disease unless you engage in risky behavior with someone who is infected. ' ~.~thonv S. FaucL M.D. Director, National Institute of~lergy and Inl~cfious Diseases and Coordinator of the Nation~ Institutes of Health MDS Research Is There A Cure For AIDS? There is presently no cure tbr AIDS. Medicines such as AZT have prolonged the lives of some people with AIDS. There is hope that additional treatments will bc found. There is also no vaccine to prevent uninfected people from getting the infection. Researchers believe it may take years for an effective, safe vaccine to be found. The most effective way to prevent AIDS is avoiding exposure to the virus, which you can control by your own behavior. I Should You Get An AIDS Test? you ha,ye probably heard about the "AIDS Test.' The test 'doesn't actualh, tell you if vou have AIDS. It shows if you have been infected with the virus. It looks ?or changes in blood that occur after you have been infected. Thc Public Health Service recommends you be confidentialh, counseled and tested if you have had any sexualh, transmitted disease or shared needles; if you are a man who has had sex with another man; or if you have had sex with a prostitute, male or female. You should be tested if you have had sex with anyone who has done any of these things. If you are a woman who has been engaging in risky behavior (see page 3), and you plan to have a baby or are not using birth control, you should be tested. Your doctor may advise you to be coun- seled and tested if you ~xre a her~ophiliac, or AMERICA have received a blood transfusion bet~veen 1978 and 1985. If you test positive, and find you have been infected with the AIDS virus, you must take steps to protect your partner. People who have ahvavs practiced safe behavior (see page 3) do not need ro be rested. There's been a great deal in the press about problems with the test. It is very reliable if it is done bv a good laboratory and the results are checked bv a physician or counselor. If you have engaged in risky behavior, speak fran 'klv to a doctor who understands the AIDS problem, or to an AIDS counselor. For more information, call your local public health agency. They're listed in the government section of your phone book. Or, call your local AIDS hotline. If you can't find the number, call 1-800-342-AII5S. //_~j~ RESPONDS TO AIDS -