WORLD HIV/AIDS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
                                       QUESTIONNAIRE

                    WEST AFRICA SECONDARY SCHOOL (WASS)

NAME OF PARTICIPANT: WISTON AFOKO
AGE:18 GENDER: MALE
E-MAIL ADDRESS :
POSTAL ADDRESS : WEST AFRICA SECONDARY SCHOOL, P.O. BOX 298, LEGON,GHANA
 

1.   WHY DO YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD HIV/AIDS PROJECT?
ANS.: IN MOST PARTS OF GHANA, HIV/AIDS IS SPREADING FAST. WHERE I COME
FROM I.E. SOMANYA IN THE EASTERN REGION OF GHANA,MATTERS ARE GETTING WORSE SINCE MOST OF THE WOMEN LEAVE SOMANYA AND GO ELSEWHERE TO SEARCH FOR
GREENER PASTURES. THEREFORE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE ME WELL EQUIPED TO ADDRESS THE PEOPLE.

BESIDES GETTING A CERTIFICATE FROM THE PROJECT I WOULD BE ALOWED BY THE AUTHORITIES TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE DURING PUBLIC GATHERING, HENCE MY MESSAGE WOULD REACH MANY PEOPLE.

2. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE LINK BETWEEN HIV AND AIDS?

ANS.: HIV (HUMAN IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY VIRUS) IS THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES AIDS
(ACQUIRED IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY SYNDROME).WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL HAS HIV MEANS THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS THE AIDS VIRUS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU WOULD CERTAINLY GET FULL BLOWN AIDS ,BUT MAY BE NOT FOR SOMETIME, ESPECIALLY IF YOU EAT WELL AND HAVE ENOUGH REST. PEOPLE CAN GET INFECTED WITH HIV FOR SO MANY YEARS BEFORE THEY GET SICK WITH AIDS. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL HAS HIV HE/SHE FEELS HEALTHY, HENCE IT IS ONLY THROUGH HIV TESTS +ONE CAN GET TO KNOW IF HE/SHE HAS THE VIRUS.

3.HOW CAN HIV BE SPREAD FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER?

ANS.: HIV/AIDS IS SPREAD THROUGH THE FOLLOWING WAYS;

*SEXUAL CONTACT; HAVING SEX UNPROTECTED SEX WITH AN INFECTED PERSON.
HIV/AIDS IS FOUND IN BLOOD, SEMEN OR VIGINAL DISCHARGE AND HENCE DURING INTERCOURSE THE VIRUS MIGHT PASS THOUGH ANY OF THESE TO THE OTHER PARTERNER.

*BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS; THIS MODE OF INFECTION WAS VERY HIGH UNTIL HIV TESTS BECAME AVAILABLE IN 1985.ONE GETS HIV/AIDS WHEN INFECTED BLOOD ENTERS HIS/HER BLOOD. WITH THE HIV/AIDS TEST NOW AVAILABLE, ONE JUST GOES FOR A TEST AND CAN
DETERMINE IF THEY HAVE HIV/AIDS ,HOWEVER THE VIRUS TAKES 3-6MONTHS BEFORE IT CAN
BE DETECTED, THEREFORE THE TEST MIGHT BE NEGATIVE BUT YOU HAVE THE VIRUS WHICH MAKES HIV/AIDS BEING TRANSMITTED BY BLOOD STILL  TO EXIST BUT REMOTE.

MOTHER TO CHILD; THE PLACENTA IS AN ORGAN IN A PREGNANT WOMAN WHICH ALLOWS OXYGEN AND FOOD TO PASS TO THE UNBORN BABY. A WOMAN WHO IS HIV POSITIVE WOULD INFECT THE UNBORN BABY WHEN THE VIRUS  CROSSES THE BARRIER OF THE PLACENTA TO GET INTO THE BABY'S  BLOOD BEFORE IT IS EVEN BORN.THIS TYPE OF INFECTION OCCURS IN
MOST OF THE PREGNANCIES INVOLVING HIV-POSITIVE  MOTHERS.

*NEEDLES AND SYRINGES; HIV INFECTED PERSON'S WHO USE NEEDLES AND  SYRINGES FOR INJECTING DRUGS LEAVE SOME SMALL BLOOD IN THE  SYRINGE AND, OR THE NEEDLE. IF THE NEEDLE OR SYRINGE IS USED  WITHOUT BEING STERILSED ,THE FIRST PERSON'S BLOOD CAN ENTER THE  NEXT PERSON'S BLOOD,CAUSING TRANSMISSION OF THE INFECTION.

THERE ARE OTHER LOW RISKS OF GETTING INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS  I.E.

(I)  MOUTH TO GENITAL  SEX.

(II) KISSING WITH  SALIVA EXCHANGE.

(III) SHARING RAZOR AND  TOOTHBRUSHES.

4. HOW IS MOST OF THE HIV/AIDS THAT IS SPREAD IN YOUR COUNTRY PASSED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER?

ANS.: HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX WITH AN INFECTED PERSON IS THE MOST COMMONEST WAY PEOPLE GET INFECTED IN GHANA. MANY PEOPLE DO NOT HESITATE TO GO INTO
SEXUAL RELATIONS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE  HEARED THAT SEX IS AN  EXCITING EXPERIENCE.WITH THE EVER INCREASING CURIOUSITIES OF MANY PEOPLE,COUPLED
WITH THE PRICES  AT WHICH CONDOMS ARE SOLD,MANY ORDINARY GHANIANS
GO INTO SEX WITHOT THINKING OF THE RISKS INVOLVED.

5.WHAT PERCENT OF THE ADULTS IN YOUR COUNTRY ARE INFECTED WITH HIV/AIDS?

ANS.: IN GHANA ABOUT 0.5%-1.0% OF THE ADULT POPULATION  ARE INFECTED WITH
HIV/AIDS.THIS FIGURE WAS GOT FROM 4233 ISSUE OF THE WEST AFRICA MAGAZINE
DATED 3RD-9TH JULY 2000,PAGE 26.IT WAS ESTIMATED IN THE LAST YEAR THAT 200 GHANIANS ARE INFECTED WITH HIV/AIDS DAILY WHICH IS VERY ALARMING.

6.WHAT DO YOU MOST WANT TO LEARN FROM THIS COLLABORATIVE  PROJECT?

ANS.; I WANT TO GET TO KNOW THE PROBLEMS FACED BY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
WAGING A WAR AGAINST AIDS IN THEIR VARIOUS COUNTRIES,IN  ORDER TO COMPARE TO MINE AND IF ANY CASE ADOPT THIER  SOLUTIONS OR HELP THEM SOLVE THIER  PROBLEMS.  THROUGH THIS I WOULD  COME UP WITH AN ORGANISATION OF YOUNG "WARRIORS" WHOSE
PRINCIPAL GOAL WOULD BE TO EDUCATE AS MANY PEOPLE ABOUT HIV/AIDS USING THE GATHERED INFORMATION FROM THE PARTICIPANTS.

7.WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT YOU YOURSELF CAN DO TO ADDRESS  HIV/AIDS
    IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

ANS. : TO ME, THE BEST WAY I CAN ADRESS HIV/AIDS IN MY COMMUNITY IS TO ORGANISE ALL THE INFORMATION I KNOW ABOUT HIV/AIDS AND MOVE FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE IN
MY COMMUNITY TALKING  TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT HIV/AIDS THROUGH WHICH I WOULD
GET SOME PEOPLE TO WHO WOULD JOIN ME IN MY FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS AND THE
FIGHT GOES ON AND ON UNTIL WE SEE OUR GOAL ACHIEVED.

8.DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEER EDUCATION IS? IF YES, PLEASE EXPLAIN IT.

ANS.: YES! PEER EDUCATION IS A TYPE OF EDUCATION IN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATES PEOPLE OF HIS AGE GROUP ON SOME PARTICULAR ISSUES HE/SHE HAS KNOWLEDGE ON. IN THIS FORM OF EDUCATION, THE  PEERS OF THE PERSON EDUCATING,FEEL FREE TO EXPRESS
THEIR VIEWS IN WHATEVER WAY THEY WANT WITHOUT FEELING SHY AND HENCE THE ONE EDUCATING IS ABLE TO KNOW THE ACTUAL WORRIES  OF HIS/HER PEERS WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THICK AND THIN. WITH THIS FORM OF EDUCATION THE PERSON EDUCATING
HAS A RESOURCE PERSON AND HENCE HE/SHE COMMUNICATE TO THE RESOURCE PERSON
ABOUT QUESTIONS HE CANT ANSWER, AND COMES BACK TO HIS PEERS WITH THE ANSWERS AFTER CONSULTING THE RESOURCE PERSON.

9.WHO DO YOU TALK TO WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HIV/AIDS?

ANS.: I TALK TO ANY HEALTH PERSONEL MANY PEOPLE THINK DOCTORS ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN GIVE ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ON  HIV/AIDS.BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW THAT ALL HEALTH PERSONEL WANT THE DOWNFALL OF HIV/AIDS AND HENCE AVAIL THEMSELVES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE  DISEASE.BESDES DOCTORS ARE NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

10 . ARE CONDOMS AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY?

ANS.: CONDOMS CAN BE FOUND IN ALMOST ALL PHARMACY SHOPS IN GHANA.THEY ARE ALL THE SAME SIZE BUT DIFFERENT COLORS TO FIT ALL MEN.EVENTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY BRANDS OF CONDOMS IN GHANA ALMOST  ALL ARE OF GOOD QUALITYAND WORKMANSHIP. VERY FEW MAY BE TOO  OLD TO USE SAFELY.ALL THE CONDOMS FOUND IN GHANA ARE MADE OF  LATEX RUBBER.

11.    IS THERE A CURE FOR AIDS?

ANS.: NO! A MAN CALLED NANA DROBO IN HIS LIFETIME  CLAIMED TO HAVE  HERBS WHICH CAN CURE AIDS AND DESTROY HIV.BUT THERE HASN'T  BEEN A SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF THE PREPARATION.THERE HAS BEEN LOTS  OF "NOISE" ABOUT HERBALISTS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE A CURE BUT  THIER PORTIONS HAVE NOT PROVED TO BE SCIENTIFICALLY  VIABLE.HOWEVER SCIENTISTS THE WORLD OVER ARE LOOKING FOR A CURE  FOR AIDS,BUT TO DATE NO DRUG HAS BEEN FOUND THAT CAN CURE  AIDS.THE CHANCE OF GETTING AN HIV/AIDS VACCINE
IN THIS CENTURY  IS VERY NARROW.HOWEVER,SCIENTIST THE WORLD OVER ARE WORKING TO  DEVELOP A VACCINE ,WHILST OTHER VACCINES ARE BEING TESTED ON PEOPLE,BUT NONE HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE.THEREFORE THE  ONLY VACCINE NOWW IS PREVENTION.

12.   DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS HIV-POSITIVE?

ANS.: YES! I KNOW A MAN WHO IS HIV-POSITIVE, HE IS CALLED YAW PAUL,HE  LIVES IN BREMAN-ESSIKUMA A TOWN IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA. I MET HIM WHEN I
VISITED MY UNCLE WHO IS A DOCTOR THERE LAST JULY. THIS MAN IS A POOR PEASANT FARMER AND HAS JUST JOINED THE "LIVING DEAD" , MY UNCLE IS DOING ALL HE CAN
TO LET THE MAN  FEEL HE IS STILL A HUMAN BEING.

13.  DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS DIED OF AIDS?

ANS.: YES! THERE WAS THIS BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY CALLED EMELIA WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR , WHEN I USED TO LIVE IN THE UPPER EAST  REGION OF GHANA. THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY AFTER   COMPLETING HER SENIOR  SECONDARY SCHOOL AND PASSING WITH VERY GOOD
GRADES DECIDED TO  GO TO OBUASI A GOLDMINE TOWN IN THE ASHANTI REGION TO MAKE
SOME MONEY TO ENABLE HER CONTUE HER EDUCATION. UPON RETURNING TO  SANDEMA AFTER 3YRS AT OBUASI, SHE LOOKED VERY SICK AND LEAN.  WHEN SHE WAS TESTED FOR HIV, THE TEST PROVED POSITIVE AND THE DOCTOR SAID SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM FULL BLOWN
AIDS. SHE DIED AFTER ABOUT 6MONTHS.INDEED AIDS HAS NO MERCY AND DOES NOT
DESCRIMINATE BETWEEN PEOPLE. EVERYONE IS AT RISK.