HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV destroys the body’s immune
system (the body’s ability to fight bacteria and viruses). It is said there
is no medicine to cure HIV completely; a person inflected with HIV can develop
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and die. However, as medical research
advances, more people with AIDS are gradually able to live longer than before
and lead a normal lifestyle by taking medicine which suppresses HIV and increases
the level of the immunity.
Major infection routes are (1) sex with an inflected person, (2) contaminated
blood, (3) transmission from an inflected mother to her unborn child. Currently,
the most common method of transmission in this country is sexual intercourse.
Therefore, using a condom is essential for prevention. Sharing hypodermic needles
or syringes can spread the infectious disease. If you are pregnant and worried
that you might be infected, you should take a HIV test; if you are HIV-positive,
seek a doctor’s assistance about measures to protecting your baby from
infection.
Except for the infection routes above, there is no way of being infected in
normal everyday life. Moreover, there is no need to worry about HIV infection
through blood transfusion or blood products because they pass through virus-elimination
treatment.
People living with HIV/AIDS are not only faced with difficulties of maintaining
their health, but also confronted with social discrimination and prejudice.
If there is a person with HIV/AIDS around you, act naturally with him/her. You
should not avoid or discriminate against the individual.
A person with HIV does not have specific visible symptoms. If you are worried
that you may be infected with HIV, you should not hesitate to go for a HIV test.
You can receive an anonymous, free HIV Antibody test at health centers nationwide.
The test is simply collecting a blood sample and informing you of the test result
within one to two weeks. If you don’t speak Japanese, you might need a
translator for notification or explanation of the results. Moreover, if you
find out that you are inflected, you can receive various medical, financial
and social services. First of all, contact a supporting organization or consulting
agency.
If you would like information and consultation about medical services, please
contact AMDA International Medical Center in Tokyo or Kansai. Service is
available 9:00-5:00.
*Tokyo Center: 03-5285-8088
Languages: English, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Tagalog, Persian
*Kansai Center: 06-4395-0555
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese