Late anaphase
6.4 STD'S AND HIV
The class shouted her down. For the first time Wonderboy spoke in my class. He had never ever spoken previously. Even if! asked him a question he was never prepared to speak. The Black learners laughed on hearing Wonderboy's voice - in a way that seemed strangely, to me, encouraging. The class became quiet - it was as ifnew ground was being broken. Wonderboy shared with us a saying in Zulu that he then translated for our benefit: A child is a gift from God.
He went on to share that since this was the case humans have no right to destroy that which is a gift from God. HR20
I looked at my watch. Ten minutes to go before the hour's lesson ended. I took over again. I shared that learners needed to think through issues raised by themselves during the lesson. I stated: let's go back to the Graafian Follicle. At intervals of approximately every four weeks a follicle ruptures to release a mature ovum or egg. This is called ovulation. The ovum enters the Fallopian tube and moves through to the uterus. The ruptured follicle is now called a corpus luteum which, if a pregnancy occurs, will secrete the hormone progesterone to maintain the pregnancy. If fertilisation has not taken place then the corpus luteum degenerates and no progesterone is produced. This results in the endometrium lining breaking away from the uterine wall once again and being sloughed off. A period has started again and with it a new twenty-eight day cycle. HR21
The buzzer sounds. The class gathers their things together and leave. They're arguing with each other again. The lesson has disturbed them and their sense of disquiet reaches out to me. HR22
text says about these diseases. Mm, interesting - no mention of South Africa and the sexually transmitted diseases are due to the behaviour of prostitutes! Who are you going to believe - the text or me? And are prostitutes solely responsible for the continued spread of the infections? Should we continue to call them prostitutes or sex-workers? You're upset with what the text is saying. You have to work out honestly why you respond that way to the written word, the truth of the textbook.
STD2
HIV - have you had any personal experiences of HIV? Oh, you know of people who have HIV.
They are not people you know personally. Not part of your family. Oh, people where you live do not have HIV. Gladys, why are you crying? You do not want to talk about it. Not a problem, it's okay. Can we get you anything - water, a tissue. You're okay? It's all right Gladys you do not have to talk - you have a right not to talk if you do not want to and you have a right to cry. All humans cry - some are just better at hiding their feelings. STD3
Yesterday we were talking about HIV and AIDS. How is HIV transmitted - by unprotected sex, blood transfusions, drug-users sharing needles. There must be direct blood-to-blood contact outside of unprotected sex for the virus to be transmitted. HIV is the human immunovirus that causes AIDS. AIDS is acquired immune deficiency syndrome. If it's acquired then it's not natural it's artificial. STD4
Can you remember what immunity in the body is about? Yes that's right - the body's ability to produce antibodies to fight diseases caused by viruses. Nolwande talks about infant vaccines - polio, smallpox and measles. The class agrees - yes that is how the vaccine works - you get a dose of the virus in the weakened or the dead form and the body then builds up a resistance to the virus.
You are then protected from that disease. Nolwande's mother is a nurse. That's where Nolwande learnt this. STD5
So then what is it with HIV? Why does the body not develop a resistance to HIV? No suggestions.
HIV survives by destroying the body's resistance mechanisms. In doing so it also destroys any resistance the body has developed for the very many diseases the body has already encountered.
Which means the body can now be infected by any disease and also by several diseases at the same time. Silence! This class is all ears. STD6
Are you saying that the body becomes defenceless? That's what I'm saying. And that you will catch any disease that comes along. That's what I am saying. You will have no immunity. Your body can no longer protect itself - it no longer has the means to do that. HIV takes care of that! STD7
It's also difficult to diagnose HIV in the first six months of the infection. This is a clever virus - it enters your T-cells, White blood cells and masks it presence while establishing itself. So you won't know it but you's got it. And after this window period when you do get to know it is already too late. The virus is already firmly established in your system. STD8
But can't you get treatment against it immediately after you've contacted the virus. I've heard you can go the hospital and get some medications that can act against the virus, shares Ronald. True, that can be done. But how many of us will know that truth. Which one of us present here is willing to declare I am HIV positive so that those around us can take care in case of accidental blood-to blood contact. Which of us is willing to tell this to our sex partner? You're shaking your heads. You disagree with me! What I am sharing with you is what we know is the truth, a reality of ours.
STD9
It's the boys who do not speak the truth and who sleep around and pass HIV. That's not fair
Nozihpho to the males. There are women who are also silent about their HIV status and transmit the disease. It works both ways. STD10
Gladys wants to say something to us. She's hesitant yet determined. What is it Pretty asks. I cried two days ago because my friend had just died from the illness. She died the day before. It was painful. She just got so sick and weak. She was a skeleton. She got it from her boyfriend. He did not tell her he had AIDS. He promised her so many things even though he knew he had AIDS. But she did not die from AIDS. She was sick in the chest. She had TB. That's what she died from.
STD11
Yes, many people with AIDS die from opportunistic infections. The body is unable to defend itself.
The opportunist bacteria and viruses take advantage and infect the body. The body gets weakened even more. It picks up even more infections. It then gives in and gives up on life. Does HIV know the difference between race, class, gender, urban, rural etc.? No ways, a sing-song response from the class. STD 12
In KZN the age group with the highest rate of infection is the 15-25year age-group. That's your age range. Oh, and KZN has the largest number of HIV positive people in South Africa. What's that Mbeki? Oh, they are Black people. Why do you say that? Does the class accept what Mbeki is saying? You do - most of you. It's Black people in KZN who have HIVand AIDS. Any ideas why we see it like that? Is it because the largest population group in KZN according to race in KZN is the Black? Waseela's upset. She shares that she knows ofIndians with AIDS - not personally but she knows there are Indians with AIDS. There are some nods. But then the newspapers only speak of Black people insists Mbeki. STD13
The buzzer goes. STD14