News and Updates
FREE CONDOM DISTRIBUTION SCHEME FOR NIGERIAN COMMUNITY IN EDO STATE
NOHF has been involved in sexual health promotion for over Six years based on our extensive understanding of the cultural and social dynamics within our communities. This community-based approach reflects the emerging trend in tackling the HIV problem by our organisation. The aim of this project is to increase condom uses among Nigerians who have never used condoms before.
In early 2007, NOHF observed that our communities were grossly under–utilizing the mainstream HIV prevention services. So, NOHF produced a package which carries an African theme, small enough to offer discretion for users taking it and convey basic information on HIV/AIDS and the importance of using condoms to fight against HIV. This is due to cultural constraint, the stigma associated with HIV and insufficient knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS.
The pack contains four condoms, the brand being condom and pasante with instructions on how to use condoms inside each pack. NOHF decided to deliver its ground-breaking prevention intervention whereby free condoms will be distributed to all communities.
About HIV/AIDs
What is HIV?
How does HIV affect the body?
HIV harms the body's immune system by attacking certain kinds of cells, known as helper T cells or CD4 cells, which are a part of the body's natural line of defence against illness.
As time goes by, HIV destroys so many of these cells and the body is no longer able to defend itself against certain cancers, viruses, bacteria, or parasites. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS and death.
How does someone get infected with HIV?
HIV is spread through an exchange of certain body fluids including blood, pre-cum, semen, and vaginal secretions.
A woman infected with HIV can pass HIV to her baby through pregnancy or delivery, and also through breast milk. Contact with saliva, tears, or sweat has never resulted in HIV transmission.
And you cannot be infected through casual contact such as hugging or shaking hands. HIV is primarily transmitted through unprotected sexua lcontact - including vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and through injection drug use (IDU).
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV- the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that causes the Syndrome known as AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
HIV can weaken the immune system to a point where the body is likely to develop opportunistic infections (OIs), which are illnesses that a healthy immune system would normally fight off, such as a kind of skin cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma or Pneumocystis, carinii pneumonia, otherwise known as PCP.
An HIV-infected person develops AIDS related illnesses when he or she has either developed one of the many OIs that are typically seen in people with AIDS or experienced a major drop in T cells or CD4 count.
Healthy people have between 500 and 1,500 CD4 cells in a milliliter of blood. When a person with HIV has fewer than 200 T cells (CD4 count), that means that he or she has progressed to AIDS.
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What are the ways to reduce the risks of HIV or other STDs transmission?
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Choosing not to have sex, or making an agreement with a partner who is not HIV-positive to be sexually faithful to each other, and sticking to it.
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Using a condom for vaginal or anal sexual intercourse, and barrier methods, such as a condom or dental dam, for oral sex.
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Talking to a health care provider about getting vaccinated for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
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Not sharing needles for injection drug use.
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Getting tested! And asking partners to do same..
What is AIDs?
AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, occurs when an individual's immune system is weakened by HIV to such an extent that the individual develops one or more of about 25 "opportunistic infections" (OIs), conditions that take advantage of a weakened immune system.
When this happens, a person who is HIV positive is considered to have developed AIDS related illness, or to have an "AIDS diagnosis".