Newspapers / St. Andrews University Student … / March 1, 1992, edition 1 / Page 5
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March 1992 The Lance • St. Andrews Presbyterian College Campus & City Page 5 The Deadly Disease by Lucian Neal II Guest Writer AIDS (Acquired - not inherited - Immune Deficiency — a break down of the body's de fense system, producing susceptibility to certain diseases — Syndrome - - a spectrum of disor ders and symptoms) has become a "hot" topic be tween sexually active couples nowadays be cause it's "lethal." Yes, once a person has this deadly disease, it’s with Him/her until death. In layman terms, it's a dis ease that can damage the brain and break down the body's ability to fight off infection or illness. It also allows other in fections, such as pneu monia, cancer, and/or other illnesses, to enter the body. These diseases are able to kill the per- sonWter invasion.. This disease is a breakdown of the body's defense system. The vi rus which causes AIDS is"human-immuno-de- ficiency virus" (HIV) and contains a spectrum of conditions. HTV is a retrovirus that must live and reproduce inside human cells. There are numerous early symptoms which are similar to the com mon flu: persistent en largement of lymph nodes, excessive tired ness for no apparent rea son, a fever, chills or night sweats, persistent diarrhea, and/or a sore throat that won't go away. If one has one or any combination of these symptoms, and if they last for two weeks or longer, this indicates a need to seek profes sional medical care. Although the symp toms are common to the flu,, one should know that AIDS is not passed by casual contact in schools, at parties, nor in the workplace. One won't catch the disease As you can see we are really laid-back. by associating (such as hugging or shaking hands) or by being around someone who is infected with the virus. There's no evidence of an insect bite, such as a tick bite or mosquito bite, spreading the le thal disease. Plus, AIDS is not transmitted from a toilet seat. The explanation of who's at the most risk lies in social and eco nomic factors: intrave nous drug use, urban poverty, and limited ac cess to health care are prime factors, especially among people of the in ner city. A majority of the women and infants in the U.S. infected with the disease are those in racial minorities. People who have the infection need the same type of support and friendship that they al ways had, and more. AIDS doesn't have a "set" course of progres sion, so every case is different. The care of the infectedpatientwillvary accordingly for each Ul- ness. Friends can help matters by continuing to talk to the patient, doing things together, and sharing experiences. The number of women who catch HIV and later develop AIDS is increasing. Women and men contract the dis ease in the same manner — having unsafe sex or by sharing needles when shooting up drugs. Women should avoid pregnancy if they have concerns about AIDS, because they can pass the HTV virus to the fe tus, maybe through her breast milk. Although there's no way to test for AIDS, there is a test to detect the presence of the HIV virus which leads to AIDS. It is a brief test, consistingof abloodtest in which the health worker just pricks your finger for a sample of blood. Then there is a wait of about a week for the re sults. The community health center even offers professional counseling, if you have a positive result, and they give out condoms,free of charge, to anyone. One should definitely consider hav ing the test, if he or she has aconcern orhas been involved in "risky" be havior — early detec tion is vital! A person can't tell if he or she has the virus, so he or she can spread it further unconsciously. The detection of the vi rus may have both nega tive social and psycho logical consequences, such as depression, loss of one's job, and being a social outcast, along with others. So, if one tests positive, he or she should seek professional help immediately such as that provided by the county health depart ment. To help minimize the risk of everyone knowing, anonymous tests are given — you are identified by a number assigned to you by the never donate blood if he or she suspects the presence of the HIV vi rus. People who don't use drugs, and have a mutu ally faithful, single-part ner relationship are the group most protected from HIV and AIDS. One has a higher risk of acquiring AIDS if he or she has various sexual partners. The only pro tection, though it isn't 100% effective, is the use of condoms. continued from page 3 There are 2.5 to 6 million people in the U.S. who are or will be mentally retarded in their life-time, and there are approximately 176,000 in North Caro lina. "This society (ours) has a very biased view of intelligence. This (CT) helps develop cre ative growth, which helps mental growth, be cause they occur simul taneously, "-Jan explains. W.C.C. is a way station to the community help ing the residents to adapt to society. There will be a show on the work done by the residents of Western Carolina Center begin ning April 2nd at 7 PM and is to continue on through the month. The exhibit will be open to any who are interested. continued from front page enthusiastic and full of new ideas," said Lisa Gaw, an admissions counselor since June 1990. She noted other changes including an application form that has been revised and short ened to make it less intimidating, so that more students will sit down and fill it out. Counselors have traveled more including private visits and high school visits. The alumni have also joined in the effort by making phone calls and helping with our area receptions. The specific roles of leader and follower would be obsolete, as David Southwood- Smith, an admission counselor with mwe that a year's experience, ex plains: "Yes, it's defi nitely a group effort. Of course, Joe accom plished a lot, but by the time he was let go mo rale was very low. Dean Benson changed all tiiat around. There is still fric tion but when you have competitive, idealistic people working together there are going to be con flicts. Friction is good though - it brings out the best in people in our of fice. Each one of us can more than pull our weight and we are a much more experienced group than the year before." Dean Benson said, "It is easy and rotten to blame one's predeces sor." He explained, "Joe Rigell did some good things, but I was not overly impressed." Benson said that the ac tual foundation for im provement was laid by Peggy Crawford, direc- tOT before Joe Rigell Md that Joe just learned from her. The "up-tempo at mosphere" and the "tight- ening-up" of the office, plays a big role in the success of the Admission Office. "Our staff is do ing a superb job," Bwison said.
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