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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-08-09, Page 13x Mi vt AIDS AWAFI by James Greig I recently read the book "Crisis: Heterosexual Behavior in the Age of AIDS" in which it says that you can get infected with the AIDS virus Frani person-to-person contact and it does not require sexual contact. This is contrary to everything you say in your columns. How do you explain the different opinions? ® K.M., Oshawa, Ont. As reluctant as I am to comment on another author's book, I have read the Masters and Johnson (Kolodny) book you mention and must confess my disappointment. In many cases, the conclusions. drawn in the book are totally unsupported by the scientific community and the book appears to be trying to capitalize on the public's paranoia concerning AIDS. While the book may sell a sub- stantial number of .copies, in my opinion, the authors have done a tremendous disservice to their readers by combining fact with fiction. e Your comment, for example, con- cer-ning the possibility of one getting infected with the AIDS virus from contact you to offer counselling, They may also offer counselling to any sexual partners you may have had, and to recommend they be tested as well. - These results are confidential, and your doctor will not , provide this information to employers, insurance corhpanies, or anyone else, unless your consent is given. Before taking that test in other situations, you should consider that: —A positive result could also be interpreted by people to mean that you are a homosexual or a drug user. Others might wrongly assume that a person with a positive result is infectious in casual sociafsituations. —Results could be required in court cases, such- as those involving child custody. —Most insurance companies, deny coverage to individuals who have tested positive. -.Employers might demand that people take the test before being mployed or promoted, as the U.S. military is now doing. In Canada, not much le$islation exists to limit uses of the test.. person-to-person contact without sexual activity -- or sharing in- to travenous needles or syringes — refers in the book to body fluids (blood) being splashed against d someone_ else, or, being _rubbed by an AIDS' patient. This is complete nonsense. There has never been one di documented case (worldwide) of l AIDS being contracted from rubbing to against a person with AIDS, and an only two documented- cases of health y care workers who became infected to through an AIDS patient's body th fluids splashing into mucous avai owever, the test remains volun 17. If you are concerned about wh may see your test results, you shout iscuss the issue with your doctor. In some areas, :yau can. --have the HI AIDS virus) antibody test do anonymously, where results inked only to a code number and n your name. For information o onymous testing, if available our area, you should contact y - cal community AIDS group. A is time, such testing is not readily ']able in much of Canada. It is important to mention that public health agencies which follow up with the doctor for a given in- dividual with a positive test, do so to ensure that the individual is receiving proper interpretation and health education about the meaning of the test. Confidentiality is strictly observed. Whatever your decision con- cerning having the AIDS antibody test, be sure you have pre-test and post-test counselling. This is very important. Editor's note: James Greig js a member of the Canadian Public Health Association and author of the book "AIDS: What Every Responsible Canadian Should Know". If you have a question about AIDS, write to AIDS Awareness, 10 Tempo Avenue, Willowdale, M211 TO MARRY SEPT.' 17 ® Mr, and Mrs. Nelson Hill of Shelburne (formerly of ,Wingham) wish to announce the engagement o1 their daughter, Janice Annette to Darryl James Lennox, son of Mrs. ' Carol Lynch of London. The wedding will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Emmanuel United Church, Bridgeport Road, Waterloo. 0 y......_ ----.. ne are of n m our t membranes or broken skin. In both cases, these were the°result of freak accidents. The book tries to convince you that you can't trust scientists or public health ; authorities.. I: really can't imagine what Masters and Johnson think these people have to gain by lying to us. Sorry, having read the book, I am no longer a fan of Masters and Johnson. If 'I have an AIDS antibody test, will the results be confidential? Who gets to see my test results? -- J.G., Winnipeg, Man. `In most provinces (seven out of 10), if you get a positive test result through your doctor's office, a clinic, or after donated blood has been screened by the Red Cross, your results will be reported to local or provincial public health authorities. In future; they may trF CRIME STOPPERS of Huron County Inc. Phone 1 10'26J'17%% Cattle helped stop their own theft on a February night in Howick Township! Crime Stoppers and criminal in- vestigators of the Wingham detach- ment of the Ontario Provincial Police are seeking the assistance of the public to help solve this . attempted theft. Sometime between midnight and 3 a.m, on Feb. 12, 1988, thieves . en- tered a barn located at an RR 1, Wroxeter farm. Police believe the would-be thieves herded 20 calves from one barn to another, and then directed them into a loading chute. They were then loaded into the back of a..truck. However, because of the weight of the calves, the truck became stuck in the barnyard and the thieves we unable to .get it out. The calves, 2N8, re valued at $12,000, were found unharmed and were returned to the barn in the morning. If you have any information about this or any other serious crime, call Crime Stoppers of Huron County toll-free at 1-800-265-1777. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Your call will not be traced nor recorded, and your anonymity is guaranteed. You will never have to identify yourself nor testify in court. If your information leads to an arrest, you could earn a cash reward of up to $1,000. Remember crime doesn't pay, but Crime Stoppers does! iattona fitness; comlton for cert with mental retai dation. • "Last year, 1, law enforceme, runners' ran over 550 miles and raised in excess of $1;00,000. fad: , Special Olympics ' `l Ontario. e . t stance o this ear's � e�� 11,000 miles," said S ., Sergeant Bil Small, Spe a. Olymp cs Law nfo ement Torch,... R 'Co-ordinator for the OPP: . Each of the ceremonial torch runt :begins in August at a� different time . and place. However,' all eight runs finish together in Hamilton on Aug. ",t2 for the official start of the Special Olympics. . " "The public can help the mentally retarded by pledging to support a local law.enforcement officer. `Adopt -A -Cop' pledge forms are available -from participating officers or from' most OPP and local police department offices," says Mr. Smal. Funk Seeds again offers scholarship -- Funk :Seeed-s vel offering 'its° $1,000 scholarship award to Ontario 4-11 club members again this year. The company looks forward to receiving applications • from 4-11 members who meet the following guidelines: -are entering the first .year of an agricultural degree programat the University of Guelph; —are members of an Ontario 4-11 club and,; °--have achieved a minimum of 68 per cent in their final academic year. Applicants will be judged on their leadership qualities, as demon- strated by their participation in 4-11, Junior Farmers and community - activites. Ontario 4-H club members may obtain applications from the office of their county or district agricultural representative. Applications also are available from Funk Seeds, CIBA-GEIGY Canada Ltd. RR 3, Cotta-, Ont., NOR 1BO. To be considered, applications must be received by Sept. 14 of this year, •NrmNM►NMNMM MMM-. h‘vrOZW' - w i _ .SIJ .1 No e Phone 357-1630 for 24 hour movie information i 111 PLAYING FROM FRIDAY TO THURSDAY, AUGUST 12TH TO i18TH. SHOWTIMES: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT 7:00 AND 9:00 P.M. 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