Knowing More and Increasing Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Canada

Published on November 22, 2011

by The Glaring Facts

One of the greatest challenges facing humankind is HIV/AIDS. Specifically, Ontario’s struggle for providing assistance to HIV/AIDS patients has also encountered difficulties. The intent of this essay is to provide information regarding the devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic in Ontario, Canada. It is useful to be informed about HIV/AIDS in Ontario because knowing more will help prevent it; the more individuals become aware of this pandemic, the likelihood that they would take measures to defend against it. To be informed about preventing HIV/AIDS, one must consider: 1) the biological effects of HIV/AIDS, 2) how people become afflicted with HIV/AIDS, and 3) how anyone could be capable of assisting local areas in Ontario for HIV/AIDS donation.

In order to understand how to defend against HIV/AIDS, it is important to understand what HIV/AIDS is. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a series of numerous infections and symptoms that arise from a damaged immune system. The immune system is responsible for producing and distributing white blood cells that the body uses to fight illnesses. Landau-Stanton (1993) states that those who are HIV positive are afflicted severely by common illnesses which become “opportunistic infections [that are] used as the diagnostic criteria of AIDS” (Landau-Stanton 7). Landau-Stanton explains that an opportunistic infection arises from individuals who lack healthy a immune system (immunodeficiency), which is caused by: malnutrition, skin damage, genetic predisposition, antibiotic treatment, medical procedures, recurrent infections or by HIV/AIDS (Landau-Stanton 20). Basically, HIV/AIDS targets white blood cells that are responsible for fighting common illnesses. If white blood cells are damaged or destroyed, the body will not be able to defend itself from common illnesses. Individuals who are HIV/AIDS positive are more susceptible to common illnesses such as influenza, allergies, sun damage, and so on. Hence, the effect of these common illnesses results in a chain-reaction that negatively influences other organs by weakening their performance. This results in death that may take from two weeks up to twenty years (Landau-Stanton 20). Moving onward, understanding the nature of HIV/AIDS is one of the cornerstones for furthering prevention.

The next step for ensuring anyone’s defense against HIV/AIDS is dependent upon the understanding of how one acquires the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the United Nations responsible for coordinating authority on international public health, noted that HIV/AIDS is acquired from the transmission of a bodily fluid containing HIV into the bloodstream. For example, anyone is susceptible to HIV/AIDS through direct contact from semen, blood, breast milk, and preseminal fluid (Center for Disease Control & Prevention 121). This transmission can be acquired through the exposure of the following: blood transfusion, intercourse, an exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids (Health Canada). Specifically, a great deal of controversy arises from homosexual male companionship. The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) reported in 2004 that “Men have accounted for 85.6% of all positive HIV test reports in Ontario,” and, from those statistics, “Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) 67.5%” reinforced a major part of HIV/AIDS contact in men. Also, ACT reported that Ontario’s seen the most staggering increase of ‘HIV test reports in Canada with a total of 26,706.” Oftentimes, doctors recommend that both partners should seek medical examination before engaging in any sexual activity. This provides doctors with a warning that either one of the partners may have HIV/AIDS (Landau-Stanton 34). These simple steps significantly improve the overall reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDS, which doctors are placing particular emphasis on this goal. Furthermore, doctors apply an HIV test to see if an individual has the contagion. Knowing ahead of time if either one of the partners is HIV-positive helps greatly in preventing the spread of the virus. Moving forward, knowing about how HIV/AIDS is transmitted will help anyone prevent the virus from destroying their health, as well as taking actions to prevent the virus from targeting them.

Beyond the individual who is making an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading on to themselves, major groups and associations are taking part in demonstrations to heighten awareness about HIV/AIDS. In Canada, there are fifty-one associations who take part in the following: providing counseling, assisting patients by offering support group participation, education about HIV/AIDS, and providing funding for treatment (UNAIDS). In Ontario alone, there are eleven centers actively pursuing education and funding for individuals who are HIV-positive (UNAIDS). Unfortunately, there has not been a cure found that may isolate and eliminate HIV/AIDS. As a counter-measure, agencies throughout Canada are trying to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS. These agencies assert that the more individuals know about the virus, the likelihood that they will take measures to avoid contracting it. On a grand scale, Canada has developed a comprehensive method that annually renews funding towards the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Canadian International Development Agency reported that Canada will assist recognized programs that have confirmed a track record of accomplishing results. These programs have supply $250 million for 2007 and 2008 for Canadians to help fight and find a cure to these devastating diseases. These agencies function exclusively from individual and community funding. To increase awareness and assist in prevention, anyone would be welcome to donate to these fifty-one associations. These associations and groups are at the heart of heightening awareness by educating individuals about the HIV/AIDS virus.

The most significant improvement to the reduction of HIV/AIDS has come from awareness and prevention. Furthermore, when one acknowledges the effects of the HIV/AIDS virus, the individual will come to understand what HIV does to the human body. In addition, understanding how HIV/AIDS is transmitted plays a major role in furthering attempts to prevent it. Although there is not a cure for the virus yet, knowledge about the way HIV is transmitted will ensure that individuals do not come in contact with the contagion. Lastly, knowing about which agencies in Canada are providing assistance to HIV-positive individuals, as well as spreading awareness of the contagion, is helpful because anyone may be able to donate and help keep that organization running to service the public. Knowing about these three corners of the issue helps improve awareness and will help in the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Works Cited

ACDI-CIDA.gc. Canadian International Development Agency. 12 January 2007. 4 March 2007 <http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca>.

Actoronto.org. HIV/AIDS Statistics – Ontario. 7 February 2006. 7 March 2007 <http://www.actoronto.org/website/home.nsf/pages/hivaidsstatsont>.

Health Canada. “HIV and AIDS in Canada, a surveillance report.” Health Canada: The Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control 5 April 2003: 5-25.

Landau-Stanton, Judith. Aids, Health, and Mental Health: a Primary Sourcebook. New York: Brunner-Mazel Publishers, 1993.

UNAIDS.org. United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS. 5 February 2007. 2007 March 4 <http://www.unaids.org/>.

WHO.int. World Health Organization. 23 January 2007. 5 March 2007 <http://www.who.int/>.

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