HIV/AIDS Support Group

It has been the heart of the YWAM KL ministry to reach out and touch the lives of HIV/AIDS affected individuals in the KL city. Many affected are street people who are marginalized and left to fend for themselves. Their sufferings may fall on deaf ears when it comes to support and assistance. Many of them are also drug users who are ignorant or lost on preventing HIV infection. This is a major factor in the rising numbers of those infected with HIV/AIDS in Kuala Lumpur.

YWAM KL is reaching out to People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) by giving them encouragement, hope, peer support, and meeting their spiritual needs. YWAM KL has partnered with the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) in handling the "Needle Syringe Exchange Program.(NSEP)."  The objective of NSEP is to exchange the old needles replacing them with new ones, thus reducing the vulnerability of HIV/AIDS among the intravenous drug users.

News Article from New Straits Times
One in Four Found to Have AIDS 8/12/03
"One out of every four people who voluntarily come in for HIV/AIDS screening and counseling at health clinics in Malaysia tested positive last year. "Walk-in" cases increased by 53.4 percent, with 451 reported for 2002, up from 294 for 2001, according to Malaysian Red Crescent Society Vice Chair Dr. Datuk Bahari Abu Mansor. According to data compiled by the Malaysian AIDS Council, Bahari said, the majority of cases contracted HIV through needle- sharing or heterosexual relationships. Rising figures on the number of people seeking counseling and testing show that Malaysians are aware they put themselves at risk if they indulge in such activities. "We urge those who had been tested positive for the disease to seek immediate counseling and treatment," Bahari said at a Dec. 7 press conference to announce an HIV/AIDS awareness program sponsored by MRCS, the Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel and MAC. Bahari urged people not to stigmatize or discriminate against HIV/AIDS patients. He said the Health Ministry recorded 51,256 HIV cases last December, 7,218 of which had progressed to AIDS. Another 5,424 patients have died from the disease. Men made up the bulk of new HIV cases, with only about 1 in every 10 new cases occurring among women. Johor reported the highest number of HIV infections last year, with 1,421. Selangor had the second-highest number at 1,152."

What is HIV?
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that causes AIDS.

What is AIDS?
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS is a condition where the body's immune system is weakened and become defenseless against infection and disease that are normally harmless.

How is HIV transmitted?
The highest concentration of the HIV virus is found in human blood, semen and vagina fluids. HIV is transmitted in 3 major ways:
- through unprotected penetrative vaginal or anal sex
- through sharing of contaminated needles or syringes
- from infected mothers to babies during delivery and breast feeding

How do I know if I am HIV+?
You can't tell who is infected by just looking at them. The only way to know is by taking a special blood test called HIV Antibody test.

Equipped with the correct information, together we can fight to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.