IN response to the letter “Say no to premarital HIV test” (The Star, Oct 8), I would like to strongly disagree with the writer by saying that it is not a blatant disregard for human rights by making mandatory premarital HIV test.
A violation of human rights in this case would be if these results were used for reasons other than the betterment of the HIV epidemic which is on the rise in our country.
There is concern in the long term that this ruling would cause distress and panic.
Above the feared anxiety, I believe there are things of greater importance such as our next generation and the future of our nation.
Mandatory HIV testing can lead to a decrease in the spread of the HIV virus, an increase in the awareness of one’s health and sparing of innocent lives.
As high as 90 % of people infected with HIV are not aware they are infected with the virus. Being aware of your health condition gives you a chance to medicate yourself.
An AIDS patient under proper medication is able to live a normal and healthy life and in most cases, even an average lifespan.
Which one would you choose: distressed bride and groom who die young and infect their children or distressed bride and groom who live a healthy and normal life? I think the response is obvious.
It is not denied that there is still a huge stigma on persons living with HIV/AIDS. Our job is to fight this stigma, not try to hide it.
According to the writer, trust, love, and respect would go out the window if it is discovered that the potential suitor is infected with HIV.
Let me ask you something. Can and would you trust, love and respect someone who hides the truth from you? Only 52% of people infected with HIV in developing countries tell their partners about their condition.
In Malaysia, a total of 2,800 housewives have been infected with HIV by their husbands since the year 1986. Abandoning your infected partner may seem like the only choice but if you do really love, trust and respect each other, there are always other alternatives to work out a marriage.
Adopting children and practising safe sex is an option.
On the question of whether the authorities have considered people infected with HIV through blood transfusion, it should be noted that the purpose of this mandatory ruling is not to punish the victim.
No matter what the mode of transfusion may be, the ruling is there to stop the spread of HIV. Worries of rejection by society is understandable.
An important piece of information that should be taken into consideration is that results of these HIV tests are confidential.
Nobody needs to know if you don’t want them to. Work should not be affected because mandatory HIV screening in job applications are illegal in our country. There should also be no worries regarding objections from other patients in hospitals because they have a special infectious disease unit in all hospitals.
Referring to worries about children and what they might face, the whole purpose of the mandatory screening is to stop the spread of HIV to our future generation.
I also strongly agree with the writer that such measures should not cover only Muslims. Why the segregation? All races should be subjected to such measures. It is not a punishment, it is a blessing.
KATRINA AROKIAM, Kuala Lumpur.
(Articles From The Star Newspaper, Malaysia – 10 Oct 2008)
YOUR report on “Pre-Marital HIV tests for Muslims” (The Star, Oct 7) is extremely disturbing. This is yet another blatant disregard for the human rights of the individual. It is also another case of big brother gone mad.
Have the authorities who decided to implement and enforce this ruling thought about the long-term consequences of their actions?
This ruling is only going to cause much panic, mayhem and distress. Even if the authorities were to be given the benefit of the doubt and even if we were to consider that their intentions are well-meaning, the repercussions are serious and far-reaching.
Trust, love and respect will all fly out of the window once it is discovered that a potential suitor is infected with the HIV/AIDS virus.
The normal, ignorant, ill-informed human response to the person who has the HIV/AIDS virus is to treat that infected person with fear, loathing or derision, or all three.
An apathetic Malaysian public is also probably not aware that HIV cannot be spread through normal human contact. Transmission of the virus is through bodily fluids.
Nevertheless, the future of many will be shattered, relationships disintegrated and trust terminated through this shocking discovery. In its place will triumph suspicion and insincerity.
The noble person who may wish to proceed with the marriage plans may have no choice but to abandon his/her plans through parental and family pressure. The social stigma is a surety.
Have the authorities considered the ramifications for the infected person who has contracted HIV through a blood transfusion?
Is his/her rejection by the community to be treated on a lesser scale than the person who contracted AIDS through drug taking or via illicit sexual activities?
Our Malaysian public is not as forgiving as a more knowledgeable western community. Anyone or anything associated with the infected person will be ostracised.
That person will be a social pariah for the rest of his or her life. Any children associated with that person will suffer exclusion at school and in the playground. Work colleagues will not want to be closely associated with their infected workmate. Job offers may suddenly dry up. Even hospitalisation may bring objections from other patients.
No one profession, not even exalted religious figures, can simply step into the shoes of a counsellor and start imparting advice pertaining to something as serious as this. Only a trained counsellor or a medical practitioner, both with years of experience, can dispense such counselling advice.
The only service that the religious person can do is offer spiritual guidance and moral support for the infected person. Having HIV/AIDS is a terminal illness.
Again, I fear that this action is another divisive act. Why should Malays and Muslims only be subjected to such extreme measures? Why the segregation? There are enough reasons for our society to be fragmented. We do not need another.
Finally, the HIV test is not cheap and it is a lengthy procedure. It is not instantaneous like pregnancy testing nor painless like a blood pressure check. Although the test may be offered free to Muslims, the cost must ultimately be derived from somewhere.
I therefore urge the Jakim director-general, Datuk Wan Mohamad to reconsider and utilise the money that would have been spent on these HIV tests on educating children on HIV/AIDS illness.
We can do it by teaching young people about the dangers of contracting AIDS, by introducing in schools and colleges proper and mature sex education lessons, by spreading the word that protected sex will reduce the spread of the HIV virus, by distributing condoms at family planning clinics and massage parlours, by informing the public that having unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners is risky and that the reuse of needles for drug takers is potentially lethal.
MARIAM MOKHTAR, Ipoh.
(Articles from The Star Newspaper, Malaysia – Wed Oct 8, 2008)
Praise God to 6 residents of Crisis Home. They have resolved to continue as long as God gave them the encouragement and strength to Live. They bring a life-changing encouragement and declare to carry on.
- my old life is behind me — I am a new person, with a new life.
- a change so drastic that the old person is “buried.”
- giving testimony to what has happened inwardly, and a clear commitment to turn from the old life.
Praise God for these 6 brothers no matter what circumstances life may present. We all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. 4 of these brothers has a desire to serve God by helping others Living With HIV/AIDS as they discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.
This discovery begins with a commitment to what our hearts tell us is a worthwhile purpose. When we commit to a worthwhile purpose, we begin to fill needs, often in miraculous ways. Intention and commitment grow stronger when we have very important reasons to follow a dream.
***Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all our Muslims Friends.***
To all Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslim, we celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri after the beautiful month of Ramadan. The beauty of Ramadan reminds us that there are those who are less fortunate. Ramadan provides clarity and defination to their every day suffering. We pray we can emulate this awareness on a more sustainable basis.
T-cells are specialized white blood cells that play an important role in the body’s immune system. These cells have molecules called CD4 on its surface. These “helper” cells initiate the body’s response to invading micro-organisms such as viruses.
CD4 Cells – The Key to HIV Replication
HIV is a retrovirus, meaning it needs cells from a “host” in order to make more copies of itself (replication). In the case of HIV, CD4 cells are the host cells that aid HIV in replication. HIV attaches to the CD4 cells, allowing the virus to enter and infect the CD4 cells, damaging them in the process. The fewer functioning CD4 cells, the weaker the immune system and therefore the more vulnerable a person is to infections and illnesses.
Normal Values – In a healthy adult, a normal CD4 count can vary a great deal but is typically 600 to 1200 cells per cubic millimter of blood
Between 600 and 350 – In an HIV+ person, this range is considered “very good”.
Between 350 and 200 – The immune system is weakened and therefore the HIV+ person may be at increased risk for infection and illness.
Less that 200 – The immune system is severely weakened and the HIV+ person is at a much greater risk of opportunistic fungal infections e.g. thrush, cryptococcus – causing mental confusion and bacterial infections e.g Tuberculosis (TB).
We urgently seek your prayer support for Crisis Home residents, individuals living with HIV whose CD4 is at a very low level of below 200 cells per cubic millimter of blood. They have becomes ill with one of the AIDS defining illnesses and is at a much greater risk of others opportunistic infections and is said to have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Please pray for a good recovery and respond to the HIV medications prescribed to help prevent illnesses and infections.
- Koh – CD4 of 38
- Wong – CD4 of 63
- Liew – CD4 of 86
- Ng – CD4 of 88
- Yeoh – CD4 of 110
Thank you and please share this prayer request as we seek His Healing and Strength for our fellow brothers who are suffering.
You can get HIV through hugging.
Wrong! You can only contract the disease if there is an exchange of bodily fluids. If you hug, shake hands, or work with someone who is infected – you won’t get it! You can’t get it through bug bites, animals, drinking water, etc.
You can tell if someone is infected.
Wrong! Infected people don’t always look sickly. Some people may not even look sick for 10 years!
There are drugs to cure this disease.
Wrong! There is no cure for this disease, but there is medication to prolong the process of HIV turning into AIDS. But, medication is not available in all areas of the world – especially in rural areas.
AIDS is a punishment from God.
Totally wrong! AIDS is not a punishment from God. We live in a broken, fallen world, and sadly, sickness and death are a part of our lives. If God began handing out sickness for our sins, most of us would be dead by tomorrow. Many people have HIV because something terrible was done to them or by them.
Children aren’t affected by this disease.
Wrong! 15 million children have been orphaned because their parents have died of HIV/AIDS. If a mother is pregnant and infected, more often than not the baby will be born infected with the virus. If they’re not already infected, they may become infected from breast feeding. Every minute, one child dies of AIDS.
I don’t have money, I can’t help.
Wrong! There is something every person can do – whether you’re 5 years old or 50 years old.
Did You Know In Malaysia!
Most people infected by the disease are between the ages of 20 and 39! Over 80,000 people are recorded living with HIV/AIDS. Many more are not recorded …