Police in Southeast Asia are cracking down on intravenous drug users—typically at needle-exchange centers—an effort that, ironically, forces injection drug users to share needles, contributing to the spread of HIV (news.yahoo.com/AFP, 10/24).
“Our policies focus on sending people to jail and treating them as criminals rather than as health problems,” says Precha Knokwan of the Thai Drug Users’ Network.
Due to the underground nature of needle-sharing in Southeast Asia, experts estimate that up to 50 percent of addicts may be carrying the virus.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
