Let's Talk

Did you know that PT Foundation is a community based organization providing information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and Sexuality?

Tahukah anda bahawa Yayasan PT merupakan sebuah perbadanan yang memberi maklumat, pengajaran dan perkhidmatan yang berkaitan dengan HIV/AIDS dan Sexualiti?


LET'S TALK
03-4044 5455
03-4044 5466

Monday to Friday 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Isnin hingga Jumaat 7:30petang - 9:30malam

Address/Alamat:

No.7C/1, Jalan Ipoh Kechil,
Off Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 Kuala Lumpur.

For further information, please click here:
Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila klik di sini:

PT Foundation website

Do you know what is SEXUALITY all about?
Tahukah anda apakah sebenarnya Sexualiti?

Do you have friends with questions about their sexualities?
Adakah anda mempunyai kawan yang mempunyai persoalan mengenai sexualiti mereka?

(Please click here. Sila klik di sini.)

Mosquito and HIV

Did you know that HIV is not transmitted by mosquitoes?

There are a few factors supporting this statement, namely:

1) The body of a mosquito lacks cells with CD4 markers (or CD4 cells).
CD4 cells protects our body from intruders (i.e antigens).

HIV requires CD4 cells in order to replicate. Mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas or other blood sucking insects lack CD4 cells, therefore the virus cannot replicate inside these arthropods.

2) Mosquitoes inject saliva that acts as an anticoagulant so that they can feed easily, they do not inject blood in to the next person bitten.

The mechanism may be represented by this:
Imagine two tubes, the 1st tube injects saliva into the person bitten, the 2nd tube sucks out blood.

It is different from a syringe whereby drug and blood mixes in the same hollow tube.


3) HIV-infected persons do not have constant, high levels of HIV in their bloodstreams.

4) Insect mouth parts do not retain large amounts of blood on their surfaces.

5) HIV does not reproduce inside the insect. In other words, the insect does not get infected by the virus, thus it cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on/bites.


Source:
Can we get AIDS from mosquito bites?
FAQ's on Mosquitoes for NJMCA Web Page
HIV and Its Transmission: Factsheet by the CDC

HIV/AIDS Myths

1) Myth: HIV is the same as AIDS.

HIV is a virus.
AIDS is a collection of illnesses.

AIDS develops at the near-end stage of HIV infection, when the person's immune system is too weak. Opportunistic diseases may attack and eventually due to the person's weak immune system, he may not combat the disease and die.

2) Myth: I'm not prone to the virus.
Myth: I can't get HIV because i am not gay.

A lot of people think that they are not prone to the virus.
The truth is, it is about "What we do, not who we are".

Our actions (e.g unsafe sex, sharing of needles etc.) put us at risk of being infected, not whether we are of a higher social class or if we're of our sixties or seventies or lesbian etc.

EVERYONE is at risk, because our behaviours put us at risk.
your boyfriend who is tall, dark and handsome or your girlfriend who is cute, cuddly and warm may look INNOCENT, but one's look doesn't reflect one's attitudes and behaviours.

3) Myth: HIV is spread by needles left in theater seats or vending machine coin returns.

There is no documented case of this type of transmission.

4) Myth: You cannot get HIV from oral sex.

Unprotected sex increases the risk of the transmission of virus.
A lot of people I have spoken to expressed their opinion that oral sex is supposed to be done WITHOUT a condom.
It should be made known that HIV is transmitted via body fluids such as the semen, vagina fluid etc. via oral, vaginal and anal sex which are "unprotected".

Unprotected/unsafe sex means having sexual intercourse without condom or oral sex without condom/dental dam.

Safe sex means one chooses to use the condom during sexual intercourse.


5) Myth: HIV can be transmitted from breathing the air around an HIV-infected person or from hugging or holding hands with an HIV-infected person.

HIV cannot be transmitted through:
-toilet seats or door knob handles
-touching, hugging, holding hands or cheek kissing with an HIV-infected person
-sharing eating utensils with an HIV-infected person
-mosquito bites.

6) Myth: I cannot get HIV when i am on contraceptives such as Oral Contraceptives Pills, diaphragms, cervical caps, sponges, spermicides, DepoProvera, Norplant.

Birth control methods cannot prevent a person from getting Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV.

Apart from Abstinence, the next best effective method of preventing HIV and pregnancy is the Condom (either Male or Female).

The Red Carnival!

The Red Carnival by Pink Triangle Foundation is supported by the United Nations, Ministry of Health (Malaysia) and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC).

I shall blog base on my experience instead of the details on the activities and programmes held. For further information on what happened, you may click here :)


Baylon and I :) Check out his lovey-dovey bunny ears and the cute little red ribbon i had on my face! It is all about creativity and sincerity.

Many a person that i've met, doubted on becoming a volunteer because they fear that they do not know enough about HIV/AIDS to speak about the issue. I've found that the actual fact however, is to understand the gist.

that's all you need to speak.

because your target is the walking public, who may only have a few minutes, so you begin speaking with all the points.

The day before the event, Chun Ting (also a volunteer for PT and Ikhlas) came to UPM to brief us.


We had shouted "STOP AIDS: Keep the Promise, Break the Silence" at Fiesta Street. Something i wouldn't normally do whenever i shopped at Sg.Wang.
I had fun!

[From my understanding]
The aim of the Red Carnival is to:
1) Spread awareness regarding HIV/AIDS

(if no steps are being taken to curb the widespread of the virus in Malaysia, in the years to come, there will be a higher percentage of sexually active Malaysians in their reproductive ages will be infected. More deaths of the younger group may imply an economic slowdown and social illnesses, a higher pledge for health care to cater for the problem)

2) to have FUN and raise FUND for PT Foundation to run their programmes.

3) the few important messages that i've spoken to young people that i come across are:

The availability of a counselling session for those with questions on HIV/AIDS or issues on Sexuality (Mak Nyah or Transsexuals, MSM (Man who have sex with Man) and so on)

Also the availability to check your HIV STATUS for FREE and on an ANONYMOUS Basis at Pink Triangle Foundation.
I kept saying "Free" dan "tak akan dikenakan bayaran", result will be known in 15 to 20 minutes.


Transverstite performing.

We felt like a great big family...despite not knowing each other. Everyone had a smile on their face, everyone had greeted each other, reminded that we should be careful and take care of yourselves (because we were walking with the donation boxes).


Jeremy was one of the many interesting person i've met.

He taught me about not feeling bad by being turned down or being given harsh comments. He emphasized that it's about being who you are when you face the public. And not be afraid of what others say about you.

"Make full use of your personality when you're out there."

which i felt was true.

because the ONLY thing i had hold on to when i spoke to passer-bys, was my personality and the messages i hoped to get across, especially to young people (of course, apart from asking for donation)


The biggest piece of note Director jason got was an RM50 Note *sheessssh* mine was only a Ten ringgit note :(


a proud DirectorJ with a happie smile =)


There were red and white balloons with ribbons printed on them.
The "Soft Launch for the Red Carnival" was held by having a few VIPs to release the balloons into the sky.


RED.Fm and 98.8Fm DJs were here too :)


Cheerleaders!


Meow and Vincent.

Language IS a barrier.

Meow was very good in many languages, namely Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Malay. She focused more on the chinese crowd whereas vincent being bubbly lovely and all focused on little kiddies who loved the balloons (ahhhh and not to forget, all the lenglui's lah!)

Juliana Banos and Nadia :)

I felt more comfortable speaking bahasa melayu. So being in a team, we all had our individual focus groups *winks*

Bottomline is, it doesn't matter whatever language you speak, u will eventually find yourselves peers and target groups of whom u may make a difference in.

You don't need to speak or write MUET Band 6 english to become a volunteer.
you will just need the interest, enthusiasm, the awareness, care and concern towards those you want to help, to become a volunteer.

There are post cards of 3 languages, namely English, Bahasa Melayu and Chinese to be given out. Also calenders with the Counselling hotline number on it.

it is very easy :)
if you want to...


Team work!

Lets volunteer together next year!
I've had great fun, i'm sure you would too.