I am at risk.
IF...i do not know how to protect myself.

Join IVAC 2007 and learn about how u can protect yourself from HIV / AIDS.

It's NOT just about condom, but the choice of making a decision for yourself.

First 40 for RM 25 =)

Please be quick!

"Pub" Drive at UPM

Despite having a crazy lecture schedule, writing letters (of exemption from the "Penggunaan Perpustakaan Perubatan" *winks* dapat jugak skip kekeke) and running from the pejabat dekan to the Jabatan Pemakanan & Dietetik, we have "successfully" run the publicity drive at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad! *yay*!

The team comprises of experienced volunteers for PT Foundation's Red Carnival and a weird medical Dr. by the name of NGO (the "non-governmental Organization" guy who prefers his identitiy to be kept secret due to campus political purposes *weird*)


NGO's Black Shirt: Walking IVAC Red Ribbons Mascot *winks* Director J smiling at the background.

Anyway, we have successfully attracted attention from the crowd. Hopefully they will have the interest to register by February =)

There will be another "Pub" drive in the Faculty of Medicine next Wednesday to Friday. We have recruited volunteers and hopefully we will be getting some very interesting merchandise from Pink Triangle Foundation to make the "Pub" Drive more interesting =)

Yay!

For Registration Form, please click here.

Send your registration forms to ivac7rc@gmail.com

There will be limited places, do register as soon as possible! =)


Untuk Borang Pendaftaran, sila klik di sini.

Sila hantar borang pendaftaran anda ke ivac7rc@gmail.com

Terima Kasih =)

Let's Talk

Did you know that PT Foundation is a community based organization providing information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and Sexuality?

Tahukah anda bahawa Yayasan PT merupakan sebuah perbadanan yang memberi maklumat, pengajaran dan perkhidmatan yang berkaitan dengan HIV/AIDS dan Sexualiti?


LET'S TALK
03-4044 5455
03-4044 5466

Monday to Friday 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Isnin hingga Jumaat 7:30petang - 9:30malam

Address/Alamat:

No.7C/1, Jalan Ipoh Kechil,
Off Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 Kuala Lumpur.

For further information, please click here:
Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila klik di sini:

PT Foundation website

Do you know what is SEXUALITY all about?
Tahukah anda apakah sebenarnya Sexualiti?

Do you have friends with questions about their sexualities?
Adakah anda mempunyai kawan yang mempunyai persoalan mengenai sexualiti mereka?

(Please click here. Sila klik di sini.)

Mosquito and HIV

Did you know that HIV is not transmitted by mosquitoes?

There are a few factors supporting this statement, namely:

1) The body of a mosquito lacks cells with CD4 markers (or CD4 cells).
CD4 cells protects our body from intruders (i.e antigens).

HIV requires CD4 cells in order to replicate. Mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas or other blood sucking insects lack CD4 cells, therefore the virus cannot replicate inside these arthropods.

2) Mosquitoes inject saliva that acts as an anticoagulant so that they can feed easily, they do not inject blood in to the next person bitten.

The mechanism may be represented by this:
Imagine two tubes, the 1st tube injects saliva into the person bitten, the 2nd tube sucks out blood.

It is different from a syringe whereby drug and blood mixes in the same hollow tube.


3) HIV-infected persons do not have constant, high levels of HIV in their bloodstreams.

4) Insect mouth parts do not retain large amounts of blood on their surfaces.

5) HIV does not reproduce inside the insect. In other words, the insect does not get infected by the virus, thus it cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on/bites.


Source:
Can we get AIDS from mosquito bites?
FAQ's on Mosquitoes for NJMCA Web Page
HIV and Its Transmission: Factsheet by the CDC

HIV/AIDS Myths

1) Myth: HIV is the same as AIDS.

HIV is a virus.
AIDS is a collection of illnesses.

AIDS develops at the near-end stage of HIV infection, when the person's immune system is too weak. Opportunistic diseases may attack and eventually due to the person's weak immune system, he may not combat the disease and die.

2) Myth: I'm not prone to the virus.
Myth: I can't get HIV because i am not gay.

A lot of people think that they are not prone to the virus.
The truth is, it is about "What we do, not who we are".

Our actions (e.g unsafe sex, sharing of needles etc.) put us at risk of being infected, not whether we are of a higher social class or if we're of our sixties or seventies or lesbian etc.

EVERYONE is at risk, because our behaviours put us at risk.
your boyfriend who is tall, dark and handsome or your girlfriend who is cute, cuddly and warm may look INNOCENT, but one's look doesn't reflect one's attitudes and behaviours.

3) Myth: HIV is spread by needles left in theater seats or vending machine coin returns.

There is no documented case of this type of transmission.

4) Myth: You cannot get HIV from oral sex.

Unprotected sex increases the risk of the transmission of virus.
A lot of people I have spoken to expressed their opinion that oral sex is supposed to be done WITHOUT a condom.
It should be made known that HIV is transmitted via body fluids such as the semen, vagina fluid etc. via oral, vaginal and anal sex which are "unprotected".

Unprotected/unsafe sex means having sexual intercourse without condom or oral sex without condom/dental dam.

Safe sex means one chooses to use the condom during sexual intercourse.


5) Myth: HIV can be transmitted from breathing the air around an HIV-infected person or from hugging or holding hands with an HIV-infected person.

HIV cannot be transmitted through:
-toilet seats or door knob handles
-touching, hugging, holding hands or cheek kissing with an HIV-infected person
-sharing eating utensils with an HIV-infected person
-mosquito bites.

6) Myth: I cannot get HIV when i am on contraceptives such as Oral Contraceptives Pills, diaphragms, cervical caps, sponges, spermicides, DepoProvera, Norplant.

Birth control methods cannot prevent a person from getting Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV.

Apart from Abstinence, the next best effective method of preventing HIV and pregnancy is the Condom (either Male or Female).

The Red Carnival!

The Red Carnival by Pink Triangle Foundation is supported by the United Nations, Ministry of Health (Malaysia) and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC).

I shall blog base on my experience instead of the details on the activities and programmes held. For further information on what happened, you may click here :)


Baylon and I :) Check out his lovey-dovey bunny ears and the cute little red ribbon i had on my face! It is all about creativity and sincerity.

Many a person that i've met, doubted on becoming a volunteer because they fear that they do not know enough about HIV/AIDS to speak about the issue. I've found that the actual fact however, is to understand the gist.

that's all you need to speak.

because your target is the walking public, who may only have a few minutes, so you begin speaking with all the points.

The day before the event, Chun Ting (also a volunteer for PT and Ikhlas) came to UPM to brief us.


We had shouted "STOP AIDS: Keep the Promise, Break the Silence" at Fiesta Street. Something i wouldn't normally do whenever i shopped at Sg.Wang.
I had fun!

[From my understanding]
The aim of the Red Carnival is to:
1) Spread awareness regarding HIV/AIDS

(if no steps are being taken to curb the widespread of the virus in Malaysia, in the years to come, there will be a higher percentage of sexually active Malaysians in their reproductive ages will be infected. More deaths of the younger group may imply an economic slowdown and social illnesses, a higher pledge for health care to cater for the problem)

2) to have FUN and raise FUND for PT Foundation to run their programmes.

3) the few important messages that i've spoken to young people that i come across are:

The availability of a counselling session for those with questions on HIV/AIDS or issues on Sexuality (Mak Nyah or Transsexuals, MSM (Man who have sex with Man) and so on)

Also the availability to check your HIV STATUS for FREE and on an ANONYMOUS Basis at Pink Triangle Foundation.
I kept saying "Free" dan "tak akan dikenakan bayaran", result will be known in 15 to 20 minutes.


Transverstite performing.

We felt like a great big family...despite not knowing each other. Everyone had a smile on their face, everyone had greeted each other, reminded that we should be careful and take care of yourselves (because we were walking with the donation boxes).


Jeremy was one of the many interesting person i've met.

He taught me about not feeling bad by being turned down or being given harsh comments. He emphasized that it's about being who you are when you face the public. And not be afraid of what others say about you.

"Make full use of your personality when you're out there."

which i felt was true.

because the ONLY thing i had hold on to when i spoke to passer-bys, was my personality and the messages i hoped to get across, especially to young people (of course, apart from asking for donation)


The biggest piece of note Director jason got was an RM50 Note *sheessssh* mine was only a Ten ringgit note :(


a proud DirectorJ with a happie smile =)


There were red and white balloons with ribbons printed on them.
The "Soft Launch for the Red Carnival" was held by having a few VIPs to release the balloons into the sky.


RED.Fm and 98.8Fm DJs were here too :)


Cheerleaders!


Meow and Vincent.

Language IS a barrier.

Meow was very good in many languages, namely Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Malay. She focused more on the chinese crowd whereas vincent being bubbly lovely and all focused on little kiddies who loved the balloons (ahhhh and not to forget, all the lenglui's lah!)

Juliana Banos and Nadia :)

I felt more comfortable speaking bahasa melayu. So being in a team, we all had our individual focus groups *winks*

Bottomline is, it doesn't matter whatever language you speak, u will eventually find yourselves peers and target groups of whom u may make a difference in.

You don't need to speak or write MUET Band 6 english to become a volunteer.
you will just need the interest, enthusiasm, the awareness, care and concern towards those you want to help, to become a volunteer.

There are post cards of 3 languages, namely English, Bahasa Melayu and Chinese to be given out. Also calenders with the Counselling hotline number on it.

it is very easy :)
if you want to...


Team work!

Lets volunteer together next year!
I've had great fun, i'm sure you would too.

Are you free this weekend?

Join us at the World AIDS Day 2006 RED CARNIVAL 06 at Sg. Wang Plaza (Fiesta Street) on the 2nd and 3rd of December (this Saturday and Sunday)


Click on the logo to read more about PT Foundation :)

Meet us there!!! :)

Volunteers are needed for the Red Carnival, it's still not late to volunteer now :)
Please call:
Hanafi (016-6062311) or Rahim (012-6428362) for more information.

If you do not wish to volunteer however, u could try to hop by and join the fun! :)
Hope to see you there!

What can I do?

What can I do?
We shall provide you with a few simple facts that you could remember :)


Step 1:

on World Day, u could try making your own Red Ribbon and pin it on your shirt or dress, handbags and or anywhere you like!


Apart from wearing a red ribbon on his shirt, IVAC Director Gerald Soh has a red ribbon even for his car!


Giant Red Ribbon! [IVAC 2006 May, in Universiti Malaya; Join the fun in Universiti Putra Malaysia in February 2007]


Everyone in this photo is wearing a Red Ribbon! :) [Serdang IVAC Community Outing]


Step 2:

you may come across many people who will be asking --- "Eh...AIDS ar u?" or "why are u wearing a red ribbon?" or "why show me the AIDS face?" etc.

now why do we wear red ribbons?
There are a few easy ways to remember why.
ACC (remember account) ---> to show Awareness, Care and Concern towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).


or u may aso remember SSP (the Soursop fruit)
this is a symbol or sign that shows that together, we can STOP the SPREAD of HIV and end PREJUDICE.

wearing a red ribbon also means that you understand the issue underlying the HIV/AIDS and that you would like to make a difference.

if you own a blog or a website, u may get a virtual red ribbon here

To read more about the history of the Red Ribbon, please click here

please take note that one should never think that he/she is NOT at risk.
your behaviour puts you at risk.
you may never know if the tall, dark and handsome guy/ beautiful young and cute girl u're dating had been having sex with how many partners.
do u think he/she would honest with you about his/her sexual partners anyway?

Step 3:
Encourage them to wear a red ribbon too!

:)

Courtesy of the WORLD AIDS DAY website...

you may...

i) Break the silence (by explaining to your friends and family on HIV/AIDS awareness issues)
ii) Campaign (Join compaigns :) I will be volunteering for Pink Triangle Foundation in conjunction with World AIDS Day in KL next week)
iii) Donate (Send your donations to Malaysian AIDS Council, Malaysian AIDS Foundation or even IVAC - to help raise our fund to conduct our conference in UPM February 2007)
iv) Get the Red ribbon

Wear a Red Ribbon today! :)

World AIDS Day

Through the activities and outings that us IVACians have conducted, it is often mind-boggling to conclude that the Malaysian society, in general, still fears talking about Death (or anything that concerns it).

It had never occured, I stil wonder why, that "We fear what we do not understand".

Thousands and millions of ringgit spent broadcasting Concerts, fairy-tale wedding ceremonies, cultural events and so on across the country but the media coverage on World AIDS Day has never been as "large".

AIDS has claimed 25million lives, being one of the largest epidemics in the world and sadly, young people of the age group of 24 to 35 who are in their most sexually active reproductive years are most prone to the epidemic. The number of children living with HIV has also increased during the past few years.

In Malaysia, there are only two such homes catering for the needs of children living with HIV/AIDS, namely the Rumah WAKE and Rumah Soleha (which IVACians and UPMers had visisted).

Yet, no one would dare to address the issue of awareness to protect the younger generation. None of us had paid attention on the social aspects of this epidemic, such as tackling the problem by taking consideration of the social and cultulre norms of the society.


The red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-seropositive people and those living with AIDS.

World AIDS Day falls on the 1st of December every year. This day is dedicated to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic. In 2005, the 3.1 million people of whom lives were claimed by this epidemic consists of 570 000 (more than half million) children!

The idea of World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention.

1988 to 2004 : World AIDS Day was organized by UNAIDS.
2005: UNAIDS handed responsibility to "The World AIDS Campaign", an independent organization.

World AIDS Day Themes 1988 - 2010
1988 Communication
1989 Youth
1990 Women and AIDS
1991 Sharing the Challenge
1992 Community Commitment
1993 Act
1994 AIDS and the Family
1995 Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
1996 One World. One Hope
1997 Children Living in a World with AIDS
1998 Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
1999 Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
2000 AIDS: Men Make a Difference
2001 I care. Do you?
2002 Stigma and Discrimination
2003 Stigma and Discrimination
2004 Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005–2010 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise

This year, the theme is still STOP AIDS: KEEP THE PROMISE.
It is always easy said than being done, therefore, it is our earnest hope that at least young Malaysians coming across this blog would be able to address the issues and learn to protect yourself, your family and friends from HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS is more than biological, there are also social aspects that come with it.

Source: Wikipedia on "World AIDS Day"

Selamat Datang ke Blog Persidangan AIDS Antara Varsiti (IVAC)

Selamat Datang ke blog Inter-Varsity AIDS Conference! :)
Kami berharap anda akan bersuka-ria sementara melayari blog ini :)

Tahukah anda apa IVAC?
:)

IVAC merupakan singkatan kepada:
I = Inter
V = Varsiti
A = AIDS
C = Conference

ataupun dengan kata lain, Persidangan AIDS Antara Varsiti.


Ini merupakan logo IVAC :)

IVAC atau dikenali sebagai Inter-Varsity AIDS Conference merupakan sebuah aktiti tahunan yang dianjurkan oleh Kolej Kediaman Ke-7 (Kolej Kediaman Za'ba), Universiti Malaya.

Di antara objektif IVAC adalah untuk meningkatkan kesedaran berkaitan HIV/AIDS di kalangan remaja supaya mereka tidak memandang serong dan berprejudis terhadap mereka yang hidup dengan HIV/AIDS (People Living with HIV/AIDS or PLWHA).

Pelbagai aktiviti seperti permainan interaksi, forum, lakonan watak, syarahan dan lain-lain bakal diadakan untuk menjadikan proses pembelajaran ini menarik!

Pada tahun ini, mahasiswa dari IVAC (Universiti Malaya) akan bergabung dengan mahasiswa Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) di bawah Kelab Pemakanan dan Dietetik, Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan, UPM untuk mengadakan konferens ini di Kolej Kediaman ke-17, UPM, Serdang.

Anda SEMUA dijemput untuk menghadiri persidangan IVAC di Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) ! :)

Tarikh : 2hb Februari hingga 4 hb Februari 2007
Tempat : Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Bayaran : RM 40 (termasuk tempat tinggal, makanan dan pengangkutan)


Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila menghantar email anda ke ivac7rc@gmail.com.

" Keprihatan anda membawa Perubahan! "
:)

Jumpa di sanaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !

An introduction: Welcome Note!

Welcome to the official Inter-Varsity AIDS Conference Blog!
We hope you will enjoy your time here :)

IVAC,
the abbreviation for Inter Varsity AIDS Conference is an annual event held by 7th Residential College.

IVAC objectives are to instill HIV/AIDS awareness among teenagers and adults. This is to decrease the stigma and discrimination that people have towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

The conference is aimed at educating people about HIV/AIDS and issues concerning PLWHA. In conjunction with our slogan "Understanding Makes A Difference", we hope by providing appropriate information, we can eliminate the prejudice and criticism towards PLWHA.

During the conference, discussions, interactive games, workshops, seminars, forums and many more interesting activities will be held to give people information about HIV/AIDS.

Through this conference, we hope to give PLWHA HOPE, CARE and LOVE.
We can help to make PLWHA lead a better life.


"Understanding Makes a difference!"
"If you think you can, you can!"
:)