Living with HIV in the Philippines

The official blog of The Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundation, Inc. (TRR).

  • TRR LOVE FUND

    TRR Love Fund is the arm of the foundation which provides medical assistance to the financially challenged PLHIV.

  • Care assistance for HIV Test

    The Care Assistant Program involves assistance to HIV testing and HIV and AIDS Treatment hubs in the Philippines. Our volunteers schedule the client to the clinic or hub, assist with the procedure in the clinic or hub and conduct peer counseling

  • HOTLINE ASSISTANCE

    With the TRR Hotline Numbers, our volunteers answer concerns and inquiries about HIV and AIDS, do counselling, refers clients to nearest HIV Testing facility, HIV and AIDS Treatment Hub and government and NGO organizations for support

  • PEER COUNSELING

    The foundation volunteers conduct one-on-one counseling either on the phone or in person. They also conduct group counseling

  • SUPPORT GROUP TALK

    The support group talk (SGT) is a program that involves giving HIV lectures by guest speakers, discuss topics about HIV, care, treatment and support, discussion issues related to HIV

  • OUTREACH PROGRAM

    The foundation's outreach program is geared towards providing support to our fellow PLHIV's in the HIV and AIDS Treatment Hubs. Volunteers hand out of donations of medicines and special gifts to PLHIV, give inspirational talks by invited guests to a group of PLHIV, bonding over snacks or meal, visit the sick who are confined in the hospital

  • Referral System

    As part of treatment, the foundation's referral program involves our volunteers referring clients to specialized doctors who are HIV friendly. The foundation has it's own list of specialty doctors of low cost for the indigent PLHIV.

  • Online Support Group

    The foundation has a private Online Support Group in facebook. This group of advocates, supporters, counselors, health Workers and PLHIV

  • Home Health

    Aside from client counselling, the foundation volunteers also do family counselling and home visitation for awareness and continuance of care.

  • Health Fitness

    The foundation believes in holistic approach to treatment and care, thus inclusion of these programs: yoga, dance, swimming, jogging and running, boot camp workouts

  • EVENTS

    As part of awareness and education program, the foundation organizes its own national events to coincide with the international AIDS events: World AIDS Day and International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

Thursday, May 23, 2013

0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , , , ,

Email 373: Is Persistent Fever a Symptom of HIV?


asked ko lang po pano po kung fever lang yung sintomas na 
nararamdaman mo almost 2weeks na po until now meron pa din me pabalik balik 
bukod don wala na po akong nararamdaman malaki po ba ang chance ko na 
maging positive kahit sobrang tagal na nung fever ko,,, sobrang takot na 
takot na din po ako sana po matulungan nyo ako

uaegay

TRANSLATION

I would like to ask if the only symptom that I have for 2 weeks now is intermittent fever. Aside from that I don’t observe anything. Is there a big chance that I am HIV positive even though I have fever for a long time? I am so scared. Please help me.

uaegay


POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi uaegay.

Thank you for your email.

Like what I always say, HIV has non specific symptoms. Your persistent fever can be anything. The only way to know what you have is to get a consultation with a doctor. If you had unprotected sex and you think that you may have been infected, then the only way for you to find out if you have it or not is by taking the HIV test. Some PLHIV's don't even have symptoms at all and some have a myriad of other infections, so really I can't say that what you have is HIV. For all we know, it can be something else, but until you take the test, you will never have peace of mind.

I hope I was able to answer you concern. Please feel free to email me again if you have other questions.

Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy
0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , ,

Email 372: Need Help ASAP!


hello pozzie

pwede poh patulong nman positive mo aq sa hiv
nlaman ko lng ito dhil sa midecal ko 4 abroad sabi sa akin ng egeny qoh mg pgamot daw muna ako pero di q alm kung saan ako mg uumpisa aminado ako na nhihirapan akung tanggapin at need q poh ung advise nyo plsss help me po kung anu dpat kung gwin asap po sa sagot nyo. Tnx

Lhyn

TRANSLATION

Hello Pozzie.

Can you help me? I am HIV positive and I found out about it when I took the medical tests required to work for abroad. The agency told me to get treatment first but I don’t know where I should start I admit that it is hard for me to accept it and I need your advice. Please help me with what I need to do. I will wait for your reply ASAP. Thanks.

Lhyn


POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi Lhyn.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for finding the blog.

I do understand what you are going through right now as I have talked to a lot of PLHIV's who found out their HIV status also from the medical exam which is a requirement for working abroad. I know how devastated you are and I do understand how hard it is to accept your HIV status. But let me enlighten you with all the things that you need to do as that what you were asking in your email.

First, get the copy of your confirmatory HIV test result from your agency and proceed to any of the HIV/AIDS Treatment hub nearest you. You can find the list here:

HIV/AIDS TREATMENT HUBS

Once you are there, just present the document to the staff and they will tell you what to do, what lab tests to take, etc. If you need counseling, there is a counselor there. An HIV doctor will guide you through the entire process. He or she will explain the treatment process and discuss the medicines that you will be taking.

Don't worry about the treatment as the HIV doctors are very good. HIV treatment and HIV doctors' consultation are free in the government hubs. Most of the government hubs give a discounted rate for the lab tests as compared to hubs of the private hospitals.

I know it hard but you have to do what you need to do as soon as possible, that is go to the hub and get treatment. 

I hope I was able to answer your concern. Please email me again if you have other questions.


Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , , , ,

Email 371: New CD4 Machine and Vaccination Fees


Hi Pozzie,

I'm a regular reader/ follower of your blog.

May I ask about the news of Karen Davila in Channel 2 about a day ago regarding "CD4 Counter Flow Cytometer Test" being offered by PGH for a price starting Php 2,500. Kindly refer to this- http://youtu.be/H2TkRYnaPug as guide. Do you have any idea on this? Is it the same with the one RITM, San Lazaro or other hubs are using? I am due for 2nd CD4 count this June. I shelled out for the 1st  CD4 count in Jan this year for Php 2,200 I think, 2nd CD4 count will be covered by my PHIC but thinking that the "new" technology of PGH is different from the "I know" CD4 count. Anyway, Any idea with the news? What's new with this test? Please enlighten me, if possible.

Another thing, how much is the going cost of adult flu vaccine in other hubs? I am scheduled for immunization tomorrow, and the coordinator in PGH-SAGIP quoted a Php 1,000 for flu vaccine alone. I have checked the price with Mercury Drugs and it only costs for less than Php 600. I already had pneumoccocal vaccine last year with my private doctor for Php 1,500 only, my concern is the cost of other vaccines my IDS will prescribe tomorrow, I think it's bit pricey in PGH-SAGIP.

Thanks in advance and more power.

God bless you more,

Ricky

2 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , ,

Link Between Smart Phone Apps and Rise in HIV Cases?

I already have discussed this in my previous blog entries and since this news barely came out in one of the leading newspapers in the country, I would like to make my own comment about this.

 Ever since the social networking sites have sprouted in the internet, in our computers and smart phones, people tend to believe that the linkage between the increase of HIV cases in the Philippines and these social media sites are very strong. Is it because of the accessibility to communicate, and the access to easily meet up with other people, and or have sex lead to the rise in the cases? If this is the case, then how come only 9 countries which include the Philippines have this trending rise when in fact these phone apps and social media sites are internationally widespread? Are we the kind of people that  belong to one of those countries who are all so sexually active that we just disregard protection and transmission of an incurable disease just to get sexual pleasure?
0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , , , ,

Email 370: About HIV/ STD Symptoms and Tests


Dear pozziepinoy

May 1, nang makipag oral sex ako sa isang lalaking nakilala ko sa mall. Pagkatap0s nun May 3 ay nagkar0on ako ng bukol sa ilalim ng tenga ko mumps daw yun. 3 days lang nawala dn agad. Next ay nagkar0on naman ako ng sore throat yung parang hirap lumun0k at may nakita ak0ng parang puti na sip0n na kumakapit sa lalamunan ko. Although nakakalun0k ako ng pagkain eh nararamdan ko pa rin ng kaunti ang sakit sa paglun0k. Mula nung mangyari yun ay nag umpisa na ako mag search sa internet about hiv and std. Dun nakita ko ang mga sympt0ms, mula nun di na ako makakain. Di na rin ako maka tulog, lagi akong pinapawisan at nawawalan ng focus sa mga gnagawa ko. Araw2x na lang pinapakiramdaman ko kung may nag bago sa katawan ko. 3 weeks na ngay0n. Yung throat ko lang problema ko n0w. Ang tan0ng ko po.

Ano kaya yung tumubo sa lalamunan ko? May tulo po ba sa lalamunan? An0ng gam0t dito? 3 weeks na 2 sympt0ms pa lang naramdaman ko. Pareho lang b ang std at hiv test? 

Thanks,
juzt2010


0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , , , ,

Email 369: Treatment of OI's


good evening..

sir pozzie. ask ko lng po pag po ba nag take n ng gamot yung mga symptoms po na nkikita mawawala napo?? like yung white spots sa tongue and yung guhit sa kuko po? sir im planning to go back in the philippines this end of june para mag pa test po..

thanks and God bless.


0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , , ,

Email 368: About HIV Symptoms and HIV Test


Hi.

Meron akong nabasang article, and sabi sa article, symptoms may appear 8 years or more after the intercourse. Is it true? Im 18, my first and last was sa isang lalaki lang. That time i think he was 18 and im only 10 or 11. Oral sex lang naman, NO SWALLOWING OF SEMEN ang naganap, and mostly, he do the job (blowjob). once ko lang natry isubo yung ari nya, and i think mga 30 seconds lang yun. and i dont know kung sa loob ng 30 seconds is nakaroon ng "precum" (it was from my sociology class). 
0 comments
Pozziepinoy, , , , ,

Email 367: Are Medicines Free?


Hi Pozziepinoy!

i would like to ask if the treatment of medication for HIV+ is free?

i noticed some of the symptoms of having HIV, i would like to have a test.. after ba ng result if positive ako..can i have some help?

XXX


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)