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Everyone has a cause close to their hearts. The artworks featured in this editorial are not reflective of the cause, so throw them some favourites.. but while you're looking theres some information that could save your life - or someone elses.

How can you help? Its simple. On the next deviation you post, why not put a little about your favourite cause in the artists comments. Awareness CAN and has saved lives...

DID YOU KNOW...
Over 22 million people have died from AIDS.

Over 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 74 percent of these infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa.

By the year 2010, five countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, India, and Russia) with 40 percent of the world's population will add 50 to 75 million infected people to the worldwide pool of HIV disease.

There are 14,000 new infections every day (95 percent in developing countries).

The UN estimates that, currently, there are 14 million AIDS orphans and that by 2010 there will be 25 million.

WHAT IS AIDS?
AIDS means 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome'. It is a condition that sets in when the HIV virus has killed so many T-helper cells that the immune system is no longer able to recognise and react to attacks from everyday infections.

THE FUTURE...
AIDs is seen as incurable. However, many of the illnesses resulting from the condition can be treated. Between 5 and 15 years pass from the time of infection until AIDS actually develops. Previously, those infected only lived for a couple of years after developing AIDS. Fortunately, with the new types of treatment available the survival rate has greatly improved.

RISKY BUSINESS
If you know or suspect that your partner is HIV-positive or if you have been exposed to infection by accident - for instance through pricking yourself with a needle - in some cases, a treatment will be started that aims to prevent an actual HIV infection. This preventive treatment should preferably be started a few hours after the time of exposure. The treatment may have some unpleasant side effects, so before going ahead the real risk of infection should be estimated. This is decided by you, your doctor, and your local or regional hospital.

THE SYMPTOMS
fatigue.

inexplicable weight loss.

repeated bronchial and skin infections that do not react to normal treatment.

fever.

swollen nodes.

diarrhoea.

small, deep ulcers often preceded by small blisters.

night sweats.

outbreak of previous infections that have remained dormant (herpes, toxoplasmosis, shingles and other conditions).

so-called 'opportunistic infections' - serious infections by micro-organisms of the type normally prevented by the immune system. These in turn could lead to a number of related illnesses such as cancer or dementia.

in the end, the disease can become so serious that the infected patient dies.

AT RISK?
The following types of people are at risk of HIV and AIDS.

People who do not practise safe sex, especially if their partners originate from areas of the world where HIV is widespread - Africa (south of the Sahara Desert), Asia and the Caribbean Islands.

Homosexual and bisexual men who do who not practise safe sex and have many different partners.

Women who have unprotected sex with many different partners, especially if these include bisexual men.

Men who have unprotected sex with many different partners.

Prostitutes who do not practise safe sex. Also at risk are their customers and these customers' other sexual partners.

Relationships in which one or both of the partners have many different partners.

Drug addicts who share needles.

Hospital workers who are at risk of pricking or cutting themselves with infected instruments or needles.

Children with an HIV-infected mother.

People who have had many blood transfusions or who were treated with blood products before 1985.

HOW IT INFECTS
Unprotected sex - that is, sex without a condom.

Blood-to-blood-infection when using a contaminated needle or through transfusions of contaminated blood. Today, all blood that is donated in the UK is tested for HIV so this route of infection is extremely unusual.

Mother infecting her child. The child can be infected during the pregnancy, during labour or, after the delivery, through the breast milk.

Ordinary social interaction with HIV-positive people is not contagious.

HELP YOURSELF AVOID AIDS

Use a condom. <sub>This is not a guaranteed method of avoiding infection, but using a condom reduces the risk considerably.

Avoid using drugs that are injected with a syringe. Do not share syringes or needles with others.

Avoid blood transfusions in certain countries where they may not test the blood for HIV.

People who have already been infected with HIV or belong to high-risk groups should not donate blood, sperm, or organs.

Even if you have tested negative you could still be infected with the HIV virus. You may not have produced enough antibodies to indicate infection or were infected after the blood sample for the test was taken.</sub>

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE...
There is a little hope left... New and more efficient treatments to fight HIV and reduce the content of virus in the blood are being developed all the time.

Unfortunately, HIV is a very efficient virus that can change some of its own characteristics, mutate and create new HIV variants, which are resistant to the medicines used in treatment. To reduce the risk of developing resistance to the medication and fight the virus from several directions, you will be offered a treatment that includes several types of medication. These are:

antiviral medicines against HIV that stop the virus from spreading in the body. You will not be cured and you are still contagious, but the treatment strengthens the immune system so that your risk of getting ill is reduced. It is still not known how long the effects of the treatment will last.

specific treatment of infections occurring as a result of HIV.

vaccination against illnesses such as flu, pneumonia, and infectious hepatitis.

treatment of the symptoms connected with HIV infection and AIDS, for instance treatment of nausea and loss of appetite.

The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more effective the treatment.

HELP
Until There's A Cure.. click here

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I hope you found this editorial both pretty and informative. I'd like to thank ALL the artists whos work I featured. There will be more features coming up - in different colours.

Remember, share your chosen cause with your DA friends, you could so easily save a life by a few minutes of your time.


*Flutterings