[procaare] Re: Talking about Testing..(3)

[Sozi and Kloet <procaare@healthnet.org>]

Re: Talking about Testing..(3)
- 1. Catherine Sozi, South Africa
- 2. Ingrid Kloet, Albuquerque
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1. Catherine Sozi, South Africa

Dear Forum members,

I would like to respond to Seloilwe. On the contrary, I feel that everyone has a right to
know their HIV status at any particular time. Voluntary counselling and testing, is one of
the ways this can be done; where the individual voluntarily seeks to know and is guided
and supported through the process.

However, we continue to have people living with HIV, who present with AIDS-defining
illness', who do not know their HIV status; not because they do not want to but because
the health care workers rarely offer the advantages of knowing - i.e. better care options
including OI (opportunistic disease) management, nutritional support, psychological
support, palliative care and symptom management and increasingly antiretroviral
treatments - all of which if offered earlier actually help in the management of the
patient and their  families to cope with what is still an incurable disease.

In a region such as ours, with a high burden of HIV-associated TB, I think we do a
dis-service not offering HIV testing to all who are diagnosed with TB and that this is not
fair or just! What is also important, however, is that clients/patients have the RIGHT OF
REFUSAL AND MUST BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO once the test is offered.

Counselling must also be given for all the supportive benefits that are known. I
understand that we are limited by so many resources but this should not let us continue
"business as usual".

Rather we should strive to give better care at all times with what we have. I would like
to share with you a document titled: The Right to Know - published by WHO. It summarises
for me, what we need to be doing to make this a reality.

Regards

Catherine Sozi
Email: csozi@un.org.za

***************************

2. Ingrid Kloet, Albuquerque

Dear All

I agree with Seloilwe, as an HIV positive person, I know we need more action to solve the
problems, e.g. Water, Food and Meds the whole package! And also to be very *sure* of the
constant delivery of the ARV's. Once the meds have started one needs to continue, that's
the advice I give to people.

I hope intensely that all these opportunities are made available for the people living
with HIV/AIDS (PLHA's), and that we all have the opportunity ALL OVER THE WORLD to access
treatment, and still fight the war against HIV/AIDS.

We already are fighting the virus in our body. I'm still making myself strong. All over
the world we NEED GLOBAL access to ARV's. And also continue with prevention and education.

Warmly,

Ingrid Kloet
Boardmember ENP+/GNP+
cc Eubank Blvd. NE 9-D Albuquerque,
NM 87111 Phone/Fax 505-298-2644
Cell  505-280-2218
Web: www.gnpplus.net
Email: welre.r@wanadoo.nl
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