AIDS: Awareness is the key

There are reports of an alarming increase of HIV/AIDS across the world. HIV is a virus that incapacitates body's immunity against ailments and makes medicines ineffective. AIDS virus is not contaminated through shaking hands, hugging or sharing glasses or tea cups or utensils with some one who is infected. HIV is transferred through unprotected sex activities with an infected person. Children can be contaminated with HIV Aids virus if their mothers are infected. The most common symptoms of infection are fever, rash and severe sore throats. Infection of AIDS is preventable but not curable and prevention is the best way to safeguard against this lethal virus. Medical scientists are working relentlessly on developing curative drugs for AIDS so that the lives of thousands of infected patients can be saved. Surprisingly, many people even in the developed countries have limited knowledge about the virus, no to mention those living in a country like ours. In our society, people infected are generally very secretive about it and they prefer to keep it to themselves. We need to change this habit and learn to share it with our near and dear ones if we are diagnosed as positive. This will help those infected to overcome the agony of this deadly virus and also lead a regulated life. It is high time we understood this and stopped hiding it.

Rahmatullah Sumon

Middle Badda, Dhaka