KATHMANDU, Nov 30: It’s not by choice that someone is HIV positive. Circumstances and stories follow how that person contracted HIV. It could be through drug use (using syringe), unsafe sex, or as simple as an injury that contracted the disease from an HIV-positive person.
HIV is an incurable disease and everyone knows that. But does this mean that we detach ourselves from HIV patients? We asked on our Facebook page about how one would or should treat HIV-infected people, and this is what our young members had to say.
Aaditya Agrawal, 16, a student of Caspian Valley College, takes it positively and says, “We’re the leaders of this nation and we should always help people suffering with HIV. We can participate in awareness programs. In our community, many children are suffering from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We should always support and encourage them to move on in life.”
Yogesh Kumar Prasai says, “People suffering from HIV/AIDS are human too, and they have every right to live their life. Encouraging, motivating and supporting them will not only help them to live good lives but if given a chance, they can be productive manpower too. In simple words, treat them the way you want to be treated if you were in their shoes.”
The society, definitely, will and wants to stay away from an HIV-infected person but the youth of Nepal seem to have a different point of view. A refreshing change in thinking leads to a better society and the answers on our Facebook page definitely shines the light of positivity.
Ayush Dhungel, like Aaditya and Yogesh, says, “Staying detached from a friend suffering from HIV would be humiliating. As someone rightly said, it’s not the disease that kills but it’s the humiliation that kills everyday. I would rather inform them about the dos and don’ts and about the application of anti-retroviral therapy that can help build lost immunity. With this treatment, people have lived for more than 30 years even after being infected with HIV. This can help them feel that AIDS is not the end of life but the beginning of a more challenging one!”
We’ve been learning about HIV and how one can get it right from school during our health classes. We’re told what should and shouldn’t be done. One should always be careful and not come under pressure of doing anything stupid.
Puzan Rijal says that if she finds out that her friend is HIV-positive because of his misdeed or immoral acts, then she would give him a piece of her mind. “But in the end, I would give him the moral support he needs,” she shares.
She adds that she has heard about suicide cases in the news because of the ruthless behavior of the society, and that being a human, she cannot afford to be inhumane to someone she shares the bond of friendship with.
“I would stand as a pillar of support in his life and lift up his morals rather than detaching him from my life at a time when he needs a friend,” she adds.
Preeti Karna, 21, who is in her 3rd year of Biomedical Engineering at the College of Biomedical Engineering and Applied Sciences, explains that she would help her friend suffering from the disease. But if the condition deals with communicable diseases that can be transmitted by touching and sneezing, then she would take a few precautions.
PLEASE DESIST FROM ATTACKING THE WRITER PERSONALLY AND BE RESPECTFUL TO OTHER READERS.
Please give your full name while posting your comments. This is not to stifle the free flow of comments but your full name will enable us to print the comments in our newspaper.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Copyright © Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. 2008-10.