2B
LIFE/ Z^t Charlotte $otft
Thursday, July 13, 2006
HTV diagnosis and treatment
Continued from page 1B
well for a longer period of
time
Staying healthy
An individual who tests
positive must first find an
experienced HIV medical
provider. Although there is no
cure for HIV/AIDS, treat
ment options currently exist
to help sustain the health of
individuals hvir^ with the
disease. The provider will
perform ceriain tests to get a
clear picture of how HIV has
progressed in the body and to
determine when that individ
ual should start taking HIV
medications. These medica
tions can be quite ecpeaisive,
and getting treatment can
seem particularly challeng
ing for those with a limited
income or no health insur
ance. Yet, it is absolutely crit
ical to the survival of Ihose
with HIV/AIDS that they get
appropriate mtidical manage
ment. There are programs
and social services that will"
provide assistance with med
ications and healthcare costs
for those in need. Generally
people hving with HIV/AIDS
should visit their healthcare
provider every 3 to 6 months,
but more fi:^uent visits may
be warranted.
Drug treatment for HIV is
known as antiretroviral ther
apy [‘anti’ means against;
‘retroviral’ refers to the HIV
type of virus (retrovirus) the
drug is fighting]. Yourph3^i-
cian may choose combined
antiretroviral therapy (ART)
or hi^ily-active antiretrovi
ral therapy (HAART).
Usually, 3 different drugs are
taken together, 2 to 4 times a
day Some tablets now con
tain 2 or 3 difierent medica
tions. The advantage of these
combination drugs is that
people do not need to take as
many tablets each day to get
the same benefits.
How treatment works
Medications control the
virus by stopping it from
making copies of itself (reph-
catir^) inside the cells of the
body Generally, the virus
gets into a cell and starts to
replicate, and the new virus
es frien spread out of that cell
and into another. Some med
ications, such as fusion
inhibitors, stop the HIV fiom
entering a new cell altogeth-
Over time, one’s HIV can
become resistant to the med
ications, which means that
the medications wiU not work
as well for that person. The
treatment may then have to
be changed to a different com
bination of drugs. Individuals
taking drug treatment for
mV will probably need to
take it for the rest of their
lives. It is crucial for a person
with HIV to take his or her
medication exactly as pre
scribed and not to miss any
doses. Stopping the medica
tions, even for short periods
of time, can cause the virus to
become resistant to those
drugs.
While treatment offers
hope to many, it is not a cure
and does not work wdl for
everyone. Even when it does
control the infection, the
virus remains in the body of
the person hving with
HIV/AIDS. It is particularly
important for pregnant
women who are infected to
receive treatment, as certain
medications can decrease the
likelihood that the unborn
child will be infected.
Treatment does NOT prevait
an individual with HTV fiem
passing the virus to other
people throng body fluids,
such as during rmprotected
sex or sharii^ needles or
injecting-drug equipment.
Treatment also does NOT
prevent an individual with
HrV/ADDS fium getting re
infected with a different
sfrain of HTV It is crucial
PHOTO/WAKE FOREST UNIVERSrTY
The death rate from HIV/AIDS has declined in general in the
last decade, but is disproportionately high among blacks.
Contribution by Scott D. Rhodes
that infected individuals on
treatment remain vigilant
and continue to practice safer
sex or, if addicted to drugs,
not to share injecting drug
equipment.
Remember: Knowledge is
power, but it is what you do
with it that makes aU the dif
ference!
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Dr. Carl Arringtoriy Director of Market Expansion
Do You Have A Plan B?
forgotten our real goal. The real goal
was to have a wonderful relationship.
We came to the point in the pursuit of
the relationship that it had to be with a
specific individual. If we turn the failing
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We can fall into this trap in other
ways as well. Our goal may be to have
financial independence or a secure
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certain method or plan that we believe
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we want or need. We may have invested
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Again, the problem is that we have
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achieve what we really want in life.
So the basic question is "Do you
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It is easy to get caught up in activities
or pursuits that can take us away from
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run after them, before we know it, we
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Yet, at the same time, we can become
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risk of becoming so narrow in our focus
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making our dreams come true.
Sometimes as we pursue our dream.s,
we forget what it is that we really want.
Often we confuse what we really want
with the vehicle or way of making our
dreams a reality.
For example, we may say that we
want a special relationship. We begin
pursuing this relationship with
someone. However, no matter how
much we may invest in the relationship
emotionally or even financially, it does
not work. We may even refuse to accept
that it is not working, although everyone
around us keeps pointing it out to us.
What has happened is that we have
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AMBilCARE>!^HEALTH
AmeriCare Health
‘Sugar Creek ” Medical Center
721 W. Sugar Creek Rd. • 704-941-8020
“Now Open”
“A New 3 Million Dollar Facility”
(across the streetfrom Mcpfield Memorial Baptist Church)
“On the Plaza” • 704-535-0400
Milton Road • Charlotte, NC 28211
“At The Park” • 704-399-2677
6023 Beatties Ford Road • Charlotte, NC 28216
Visit AmeriCare at either location
For All Family Healthcare Needs
■ Accepting New Patients -
‘‘Appointments Not Necess^’ fff
Comprehensive Healthcare
You Need and Deserve:
• State-of-the Art Pediatrics
* Urgent Care • Interna! Medicine
• Minor Trauma • industrial Medicine
• Diagnostic- Center
Dr. Fidelis Edosomwan
Open Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm, Sat. 9am-5pm
“Fori will restore health unto thee, and 1 will heal thy
wounds, saith the Lord." - Jeremiah 30:17
AmeriCare ^Health
Edosomwan Awards 5 Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Seniors $1,000 Scholarships
Bringing AmeriCares Total Awards to $50,000
Friday, July 07, 2006 Dr. Fidelis Edosomwan
presented 5 Charlotte-Mecklenburg seniors with
$1,000 scholarships each to help defray the cost of
their college education. AmeriCares Marshville
office in Union county, and Pageland office in
Chesterfield county, South Carolina previously
awarded area seniors as well. AmeriCare’s total
scholarship awards to date are over $50,000.
Dr. Edosomwan shared several life examples as
he stressed the importance of furthering their
education to the recipients and family members.
He emphasized that only with knowledge could
they make a difference in not only their lives but
the lives of others. ‘Your ultimate goal is to
make our communities more sound, and a
better place to live,” said Edosomwan.
Recipients gathered in front of AmeriCares Milton Rd, office to say thank you.
Left to right! Sharika Johnson - Vance High, Fiona Williams - Berry Academy of Technolog)^
(center) Dr. Edosomwan, Xavier Dunn - Berry Academy of Technolo^,
Laura Ndelo • West Charlotte High, and Kenyai'der Lewis, Jr, • Berry Academy of Technology