Johannesburg, Various campaigns and efforts made by South Africa to reduce the number of people living with HIV. One of the campaign carried out is to do safe sex or no sex for a month.

HIV experts said the national campaign to persuade people to abstain from sex for one month or 100 per cent use condoms. It is expected that this can contribute significantly to preventing HIV.

“We still have to relate to HIV infection in the years ahead. If no improvement in terms of prevention, the budget and health systems will not be able to cover the demand for treatment of HIV / AIDS in the coming years,” said Alan Whiteside of the Health Economics and HIV / AIDS Research Division (Heard), as quoted from Irinnews.org, Friday (11/19/2010).

In an article published April 2010 by the Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, Whiteside and his partner Justin Parkhurst of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, argues that the national campaign safe sex or months without sex (safe sex / no sex month) can help reduce the spread of HIV.

This is because an estimated 10-45 percent of HIV infections result from sexual intercourse, carried out by people who are in a period of acute HIV infection.

“We want to intervene in that period. If we can stop the incident for a month or a little longer, it will have enormous impact on the HIV epidemic in this region,” said Whiteside.

In his article the author refers to the month of Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from sex for several hours for a month. This proves that one can reduce berisikonya sexual behavior over a certain period.

Message to not have sex for a month and consistent condom use is not a radical form of prevention.

For example, some campaigns are carried out is ‘One month without a commercial sex worker’ or point ‘Month monogamy’ which might make more sense.

HIV Transmission

When someone is infected, the initial symptoms that appear sometimes similar to flu or viral infection medium.
Symptoms and early signs of HIV, including fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin.

Center for disease control (Centers for Disease Control / CDC) revealed there are several symptoms that indicate an advanced stage of HIV are:
1. Lose weight fast without any reason.
2. Hacking cough.
3. Recurring fever or sweating at night.
4. Fatigue.
5. Diarrhea is more than a week.
6. Memory loss.
7. Depression and other nervous disorders.

HIV is caused mostly by the behavior of mutually exchange sex partners without using condoms or those who used drugs since the turn of a syringe.

HIV is transmitted through:
1. Relationship sex and oral sex or anal.
2. Transfusion.
3. The use of contaminated needles shared by drug injection and in health care.
4. Between mothers and their babies during pregnancy, birth and lactation.