ROMANSA KEMATIAN

Bait satu

Telapak menganga

Bulir kamboja meratapi persetubuhan ruh

Menyelak urung malam

Serpihan tanah ternoda

Mengandung jasad ingsun

Dari selangkang yang telah lama kehilangan keperawanannya

Tanpa sekat

Tanpa tarian pemujatan

Tanpa larik – larik erang

Senyap

Menyulur batang – batang yang kokoh

Mengarungi sepersekian subuh

“Bukankah kau yang menginginkan?”

Merajut zina di pemakaman

to be continued . . .
M. SAYID WIJAYA

Ada kebaikan karena ada keburukan

Burung – burung melayang bebas di angkasa.

Dari mana mereka mempelajarinya?

Mereka jatuh, dan terus jatuh, mereka lalu diberi sayap.

Jalaludin Rumi

Manusia perlu bersatu dengan menjaga hubungan

Kami masak segumpal tanah liat,

Mencetak tubuh kalian,

Dan tubuhku.

Lalu kami satukan keduanya,

Dan kami pecahkan berkeping – keping,

Dan mencampurkan kepingan dengan air,

dan mencetak lagi tubuhmu, dan tubuhku.

Aku ada dalam tanah liatmu.

Kau dalam tanah liat ku.

Dalam hidup kita berbagi tempat berteduh.

Dalam kematian kita berbagi peti mayat.

Kuan Tao-Sheng

Cinta adalah menghargai perbedaan, keanehan, dan keunikan orang lain, tanpa menuntut mereka menjadi “normal” seperti kita

Bunyikanlah bel yang masih berdering.

Lupakan tawaranmu yang sempurna.

Senantiasa ada celah di mana saja.

Lewat celah itulah cahaya menyusup ke dalam.

Leonardo Cohen

Jangan terlalu banyak memberi cahaya kepada jiwa

Orang selalu mengetahui misteri seseorang dengan mengorbankan

ketidak berdosaan seseorang.

Robertson Davies

SUMMARY OF HIV*

(*Submitted to individual assignment of Reading Two. Subject is guided by Umi Yawisah, M. Hum)

At first, you should understand that AIDS and HIV are definitely different. Though they are frequently connected as a phrase “HIV-AIDS”, it doesn’t mean that they are alike. However, AIDS is a set of symptoms and infections resulting from damage to the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Now, it is obvious that HIV and AIDS are distinct. AIDS refers to the illness name and HIV refers to the virus that causes it. In addition, it can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and makes the individual, who is infected, easily forced by tumors. It is also transmitted through direct contact of a mocus membrane of the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre seminal fluid, and breast milk.

Up to now, there is no currently vaccine or cure. The treatment for AIDS and HIV just can slow the course of the disease.

HIV

(HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS)

To identify that someone is suspected of HIV, his venous blood is firstly examined, because the virus is transmitted through the bloodstream. In some laboratories, HIV-detection uses “Fourth Generation” screening test that detects anti-HIV antibody (IgG and IgM) and the HIV p24 antigen. If s/he is identified of HIV infection, after having test, s/he will get the second test to prove the first test is positive. However, there is another effective test called “Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)” that is faster to find HIV in the bloodstream. HIV infections to AIDS occur at medium of between nine to ten years.

HIV is transmitted through sexual contact, body fluids, and from mother fetus or child during prenatal period (childbirth and breast milk). They are the three major of HIV transmission based on the chart below.

Estimated per act risk for acquisition of HIV by exposure route[75]
Exposure Route	Estimated infections per 10,000 exposures to an infected source
Blood Transfusion	9,000[76]
Childbirth	2,500[50]
Needle-sharing injection drug use	67[77]
Percutaneous needle stick	30[78]
Receptive anal intercourse*	50[79][80]
Insertive anal intercourse*	6.5[79][80]
Receptive penile-vaginal intercourse*	10[79][80][81]
Insertive penile-vaginal intercourse*	5[79][80]
Receptive oral intercourse*§	1[80]
Insertive oral intercourse*	0.5[80]§
* assuming no condom use § source refers to oral intercourse performed on a man

In order to avoid the risk of HIV infection through those three major transmissions, we should find the general preventions out.

1. Sexual Contact

Though HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual, it doesn’t effect if the partner has no HIV. However, if s/he has it, in sexual contact, using condom will decrease the risk of HIV transmission by 80 %.

There are two kinds of condom, for male and female. The general male condom is made from latex. The expert told the costumer not to use this condom with several lubricants such as petroleum jelly, butter, and lard. The using of those lubricants can make it dissolved. It decreases the latex resistance from absorption. In the other hand, the general male condom is made from polyurethane. It is larger then male condom and is very rare to get.

It is also said that the male circumcision lowers the risk of HIV infection, especially among heterosexual men, by up to 60 %.

2. Exposure To Infected Body Fluids

Generally, drug use, which using sharp object like needles, is the possibly way for HIV to get in the blood. When you wear gloves, mask, protective eyewear, you should wash your skin, which directly contacts them after, to reduce the chance of infection. Moreover, when you commit drug abuse, needle-exchange is a good strategy to reduce infection (recommended).

3. Mother – To – Child – Transmission (MTCT)

If the mother is infected, she must not give the baby breast milk although it ought to give during the first month after be born.

However, there is no vaccine or cure for HIV up to now. Post – exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an antiretroviral treatment directly after a highly significant exposure, is the only method of prevention based on avoiding exposure to the virus or, failing that. Nevertheless, there is antiviral therapy to keep the infected person’s life long, such as HAART, which contains NARTIs and NNRTI. In fact, that HIV infection will reach the climax between nine to ten years, but by consuming HAART can longer life time by between 4 and 12 years. Even acupuncture can decrease the infection but it cannot cure it. The data also shows that multivitamin and mineral supplements might reduce HIV progression especially for adult.

However, 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.

The most important medicine is psychological therapies. Though the therapies have little effect on the mortality or morbidity of the disease, but may improve the quality of life of individuals living with AIDS in order to keep survive longer. It means that they, the infected people, need our attention to encourage and support them to keep optimism of being alive.