Foundation advocates psychological intervention in the management of HIV/AIDS
NAN-HG-11
HIV/AIDs
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, Nov. 2, 2016(NAN) Aids HealthCare Foundation (AHF), an NGO, has advocated the inclusion of psychologists and psychiatrists in the management of HIV to improve the mental health of patients.
Dr Kema Onu, Site Coordinator of the foundation, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the scourge was becoming more of a mental health challenge in our communities than an infectious disease especially among young girls.
“We need specialists like psychologists and psychiatrists in our HIV and AIDs facilities across the country to counsel persons who are living with the virus especially the young girls.
“We have realised that it is now more of a mental health issue than an infectious disease, and if they get it right psychologically they will live longer.
“Arresting depression and risk of suicide is crucial to achieving mental stability than just giving out drugs especially to young girls who are not married and are advancing in age,’’ he said.
Onu said lots of people living with the virus have lived happy and productive lives hence the need for support groups where such experiences could be shared among newly infected persons.
He said that most young girls tend to travel outside their environment and change their contacts due to stigmatisation and discrimination.
He added that such mental instability could affect their social life, lead to self-withdrawal, hostility and the condition reshapes the way they see life, talk and accept men.
According to Onu, one of the benefits of anti-retroviral drug was that it suppresses the viral load of a positive person to an undetectable level.
“When an individual has an undetectable viral load between three to six months there is 96 to 97 per cent chance reduction in infecting the next person, even without the use of condom.
“Every young girl should know that if a man does not love them because they are HIV positive, then such men do not deserve them,’’ he added.
Onu said that most couples and partners could live healthy in a sero-discondant relationship whereby one partner is positive and the other is negative as well as the availability of fertility options.
He added that when the positive partner was consistent in their intake of anti-retroviral drugs and the use of condom then the risk of transmission becomes significantly reduced. (NAN)
TIM/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola