Publisher's Synopsis
As the then head of the HIV/AIDS Counseling/ Referral Department of BUNDI International Diagnostics, I was in constant touch with those who stand the risk of HIV infection, those who are infected with the virus and those who are living with HIV/AIDS. I had first-hand knowledge of the test results of client. This, more than any other factor prompted me to write the book "HIV does not mean Death. The Socio-Psychological perspective of HIV/AIDS: why most people Die of AIDS". The bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34b), I have seen much and been highly challenged so I speak. This explains the many words and phrases that I used for the title of this book. Perhaps a less burdened person would have used fewer words. Also, the chapter headings' equally portray this heaviness of heart. The purpose of this book is to expose the reader to the global realities of HIV/AIDS. To achieve these, we have five main objectives, namely: 1.To create awareness and educate the reader about HIV/AIDS 2.To convince the reader to know his or her status and, in so doing, to live positively. 3.To reveal to the reader the impact of HIV/AIDS to the individual, the community and the whole nation. 4.To call the reader to action to take proactive measures against HIV/AIDS and to shun stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. 5.To give an adequate guide towards an effective HIV Management and Mitigation. The first four chapters of this book are devoted to awareness creation and education about HIV/AIDS. From the first chapter I brought in my training in psychology and as a counselor to bear by bringing the reader to the knowledge of the power of the mind over the body of the sufferer of any ailment. Still in the first chapter I used poetry to expose to the reader the stark reality of the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS and the absurdity of (casual, unprotected and unsafe) sexual pleasure which leads to life-long pain. At the end of this poem, I call for actions to end the pandemic. The action is to get tested, and the second action is to stop stigma and discrimination against people living with AIDS. Next, I cut out a large space to educate people about HIV/AIDS and give an overview of HIV infection and AIDS. My account of HIV transmission is lucid, emphasizing the main source of infection as sexual intercourse with an infected person, sharing sharp skin instrument with an infected person, receiving blood from an infected person and vertical transmission from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy, at birth, or breast feedings. There is a detailed account of signs and symptoms; and diagnoses of HIV/AIDS. There is also a section on treatment of HIV/AIDS. Here, I demonstrated my ability to do extensive research. I am a social scientist, however, for the purpose of this book and for my readers I delved into the field of pharmacology and toxicology to provide a list of antiretroviral drugs, their classes, uses, mechanisms of action and side effects. There is a brief section on opportunistic infection that afflict people living with HIV/AIDS. Next is the behavioral link of HIV infection. There is also a little exposition on the mode of replication of HIV and how this eventually leads to AIDS. Window period which complicate the diagnosis of HIV infection also has a section. In the next Chapter, we discussed the socio-psychological impact of HIV/AIDS. Pre-and post-tests are the antidotes to early deaths that were then rampant among people living with HIV. The closing Chapter talks about the impacts of HIV/AIDS demographically and the call to action.
