Proper handling of HIV infections is required

How to react to the HIV infection of a friend?

01/12/2011

Even today, around 2,700 people in Germany suffer from AIDS each year. Overall, around 73,000 people in this country currently suffer from the immunodeficiency syndrome and about 500 people die each year from the consequences of their disease. To inform about the risks of HIV infection, to inform about the consequences, treatment approaches and the best way to deal with those affected, UNAIDS (the United Nations AIDS Program) has been setting up World AIDS Day every year since 1988 on the first of December.

This year's theme is World AIDS Day „Living together positively - but for sure!“, not only the positive treatment of AIDS patients with their illness but also the appropriate reaction of friends, acquaintances, colleagues and family should be discussed. First and foremost, AIDS is a major stroke of fate for the sick, but the personal environment of those affected often struggles to find a suitable way of dealing with the HIV-infected. For this reason, the experts at this year's World AIDS Day inform in detail on how family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues should respond best to the AIDS disease.

Which is the right response to the HIV infection?
On the occasion of today's World AIDS Day, Heike Gronski of the German AIDS Aid in Berlin informed about how the best possible reaction of the environment to the AIDS-illness of a friend should turn out. It is above all „crucial to talk about it directly“, stressed Gronski. For those affected it is difficult enough to reveal themselves with their illness anyway, so the environment should not be closed in such an opening, said Heike Gronski. Although the disease is often a shock to friends and colleagues, they should be as open as possible to those affected. According to the expert of the German AIDS Aid, the environment of the AIDS patients would ideally give them the feeling that the HIV infection does not represent a change in their personal relationship. As desirable reactions Gronski called phrases like: „We continue to be friends.“; or „Of course you can continue working here.“

Facing fears and fears in conversation with the AIDS sufferers
According to Heike Gronski, the correct treatment of AIDS patients is generally dependent on the relationship with the patients, whereby the emotional preparation of the new life situation should be in the foreground among joys, relatives and with the life partner. In the working environment, for example, the effects on performance, the risks of infection and discrete treatment of the disease are of increased interest. In any case, family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues should not shy away from an open discussion with those affected. In addition, the courage of the AIDS patients to reveal themselves with their illness is to be appreciated by the initiates in principle, because for the least infected this step is easy. In an interview with those infected with HIV, the initiates should not shy away from difficult questions and thereby address their own fears and fears, explained the expert in the German AIDS Aid. Questions like: „What does that mean for our interaction??“; „Is there a risk of infection?“ or „Are you often sick now??“ are quite permissible and can help reduce unfounded fears, Gronski continues. According to the expert, it is helpful if HIV-positive and -negative obtain information on possible questions even before the interview.

Communication about the HIV infection only with the consent of those affected
The initiates should also discuss with those affected how to deal with information about the AIDS disease in the future. According to Heike Gronski, the question here is whether the infected want to keep their illness secret or whether they can talk to others about it, „and if so, with whom?“ If the information about the AIDS disease of a friend of a third party comes, it is best to ask directly whether this communication of the disease for the person concerned is okay. Because „Everyone has the right that his medical history will not be disclosed to the public if he does not want it“, so the statement of the expert of the German AIDS help. This also applies to the family, friends and acquaintances, but especially in the workplace, the right to information should be limited to those affected and the initiates should not discuss the HIV infection of their colleague without the consent of the patients. However, under certain circumstances, an open discussion in a larger round may also be helpful if the rumor of an employee's HIV infection is already circulating, Heike Gronski explained. Courses such rumors „It may even make sense to discuss the infection in a larger round, such as a team meeting“, To give the infected person the chance to speak publicly about their illness, the expert of the German AIDS-Hilfe weiter. However, such a discussion should be considered only after consultation with the parties concerned. If HIV-infected persons reject such open communication of their illness, their colleagues should also respect this. (Fp)

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Image: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio.de