World AIDS Day

Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

What is HIV?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a member of lentivirus, which belongs to the retrovirus family, that can lead to AIDS ( Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome). It's the time when the patient's immune system becomes weak and easily infected with opportunistic infections, leading to various lethal complication. In all cases, without effective treatment the immune system will eventually become very weak and no longer be able to fight off illnesses.

Are HIV and AIDS the same?
No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

How does HIV transmitted?
By bodily fluid. There are blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk.
Major routes for the transmission trough unprotected sexual intercourse (oral,vaginal, anal), needles sharing, blood transfusion, breastfeeding, and mother to baby at birth ( vertical route).

Can you get HIV from kissing?
No. HIV cannot be passed on through:

• Kissing or touching
• Spitting, coughing or sneezing
• Toilet seats, swimming pools, or shared facilities or utensils

Can women living with HIV still have children?
Yes. HIV can be passed from mother to child, but there are steps that can be taken to reduce the possibility of the child contracting HIV to less than one per cent, including giving the mother and child antiretroviral HIV drugs, delivering the child by Caesarean and not breastfeeding the baby.

Global Trends

The number of HIV infected people is still growing.

Regional statistics for HIV & AIDS, end of 2007

How does the patient suffers?
HIV affects almost every organs. The immune system becomes poor and tend to get opportunistic infection ( bacterial, viral, fungal, parasital), and also have a higher risk of developing cancer such as Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer and lymphoma. Patients will have flu-like symptoms such as, fever, chills, sweats(usually at night), weakness, swollen glands, weight loss

Is there a cure for HIV?
No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment(diarrhea, fatigue, malaise nausea). If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective in preventing AIDS.
Currently used treatment is HAART (highly acvtivated anti-retroviral therapy). HAART allows the stabilization of the patient’s symptoms and viremia, but it neither cures the patient of HIV, nor alleviates the symptoms, and high levels of HIV-1, often HAART resistant, return once treatment is stopped.
Anti-retroviral drugs are expensive, and the majority of the world's infected individuals do not have access to medications and treatments for HIV and AIDS.





If you were wondering, this picture was produced by the French Government. Some time ago they released an advertising campaign highlighting the plight of AIDS and unsafe sex with this hard-hitting, provoking and memorable graphic.


Prevention of HIV
abstain - avoiding any sexual activities that could cause transmission of HIV.
Be faithful - The risk could also be reduced, through avoiding sexual intercourse other than with a mutually faithful uninfected partner.
Condom - or through the correct and consistent use of condoms.


Visit the World AIDS day org site.

Sleeping in airports

I guess one of you might experience sleeping in the airport either for a transit or to save a couple $$$ if you're on a tight budget. Some might find it cozy and clean, and even better then the local lodgings..to top of it..it's FOC!!
Voted for the best Golden pillow airport...Singapore Changi Airport.


The runners up go to:according to alphabetical order.

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

2. Athens, Greece

3. Auckland, New Zealand

4. Helsinki, Finland

5. Hong Kong, China

6. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

7. Oslo, Norway

8. Seoul Incheon, South Korea

9. Vancouver, Canada

you might find this site helpful if you're planning to crash in any sleepable airport ..and there are also the worst airports which would doom your trip and make your vacation miserable...

Sleepinginairport

May she Rest in Peace

We just lost an amiable and strong woman.
Who brought young-hearted ambitious individuals to seek dreams,
great dreams of fighting against disease.
She has bred many doctors, but she's left too soon.
Gone yet not forgotten,
your memory lies within us,
forever in everyone's heart.
May she Rest in Peace.

Medical Student Syndrome

Being a medical student is not publicly 'common',normal,and some might be called weirdo,brainy,nerd..u name it..
Medical student syndrome is a constellation of symptoms that are observed on medical student when they are exposed well enough to medicine. It's considered as a psychological disorder which affect the behavior and mood of a medical student

In a more medical way,the medical student's disease is also called hypochondriasis of medical student. The medical students would perceive themselves to be experiencing the symptoms and disorders from what they are studying. When they are studying the frightening disease. they tend to develop vivid delusion on it ,thus getting 'disease of the week'.


Some signs and symptoms that were observed are listed below:

1. Insomnia

2. While they are not sleeping, most of their times are spend in front of their books.

3. Talk alone without anyone around (like they were having hallucination).

4. They talk about what they read anywhere and anytime.

5. Like to recall anything that they read.

6. Absence signs (blank with no respond for a few minutes while their eyes are looking upwards.

7. Drink coffee a lot to make them stay awake.

8. Force themselves to stay awake at night.

9. Bring books everywhere they go.

10. Afraid of wasting time.

11. Hate co-curriculum activities

12. Able to communicate well with others but they are unsocialized.

13. Like to complain but in the end follow the rules.

14. Wear formal gear everyday.

15. Look very schematically.

16. Watch Anime and Play games when they did not have exams.

17. Sometimes they are aggressive and explosive but most of the time are able to control it.

18. Depressed.

19. Laugh alone when reading a non-humour book.

20. Laugh at themselves when they confront with problems or troubles.

21. Hate to go outside of their rooms.

22. Not intact with reality.

23. Not up to date with the surrounding events.

24. Deafnism (pretend to be deaf).

25. Hate their School’s Dean.

26. Do not want extra times in their exams.

27. Tension most of the time

28. Shouting frequently without any stimuli.

29. Jealous with the other course that have more time to sleep.

30. Love the library at the same time hates it.

31. Like to discuss their knowledge with the others.

32. Suicidal ideation.

33. Over or lower confidence

34. Always feel that they are having no time to do something. (delusions)

35. Sensitive

36. Love McDonalds.

37. Love the instant mee.

38. Like to blame others.

39. Very discipline. Did not like to break the rules.

40. Thinking too much when making decision on things other than medicine.

41. Quiet.

42. Experts in bluffing the answers.

43. Seldom fall sick.

44. Like to relate anything with medicine

45. Talk about sex normally and know so much more about it than anyone else.

46. Like to imagine things.

47. Like to make jokes every times.

48. Always say yes even the answer is no, or say I am not sure. No answers most of the time.

49. Always happy even though they are stressful everyday.

50. Frequently buy expensive textbook.

51. No time to defecate and urinate especially during exam because always thinking about their books.

51. Difficult to find boyfriend/girlfriend.

susah-lah..