I: Ok, And does it matter how often a person would get a blood transfusion?

Transcription

1 Number 13 In this interview I will ask you to talk about AIDS. I want you to know that you don't have to answer all my questions, if you don't want to answer a question just let me know and I will go one on with the next one. You can also ask me to stop the interview at any time. In this interview you will be asked to talk about everything you know about AIDS. And then I will ask you some more specific questions. I may ask similar questions, more than once, and I do this just to make sure I ask every one the same questions and to make sure that I understand what you are trying to tell me. Please don't worry about whether your answers are right or not, just tell me everything that comes to mind. My first question is: I: Please tell me everything you know about AIDS? S: It's a sexually transmitted disease. And you get it from blood transfusions, IV drugs and sex. You can't get it from casual contact. It's, there is no cure. You can have it like for ten years without know it. Hum, if you have it and have a baby, the baby doesn't always have it. Hum... I: Can you tell me, when you say that if you have it and you have a baby and the baby doesn't always have it, can you kind ah fill in the details there, and tell me you know? S: I learned it in health class like 10th grade or something. Hum,.. I guess like with it's not, they don't know when it is transmitted or something and it doesn't always pass to the baby I guess. I: Ok, Hum, so can you tell me more about how ah, the AIDS virus is passed on from one person to another? You listed a couple of ways? S: During like sex, and IV drugs, and I guess it use to be blood transfusion, but not really any more. Cause they test for it. I: Ok, hum, well I'd like to start off talking about some blood transfusions. Can you tell me how AIDS would pass from a person to another person through a blood transfusion? S: Cause it's in their blood and then if you get their blood, you have it. I: Ok, And does it matter how often a person would get a blood transfusion? S: I don't know. I: Can you tell me how a person could be able to prevent getting AIDS if they are getting a blood transfusion? S: Hum, like there's one thing, like if it's elective surgery you can give your own blood earlier and then like before you would have the surgery and then if you didn't need it they just give it back. I: Is there anything else they can do? S: Test it. I: Ok, and what would they test? 1

2 S: For AIDS. Like test it, like when they screen it when they get it. I: Ok, how well do you think ah, this would really protect a person from getting the AIDS virus? S: Probably pretty well, unless it doesn't show up on the test but it's there. I guess pretty well. I: Hum, how likely do you think that it is that the it would, hum, contain the AIDS virus but wouldn't show up on the test? S: Probably not very likely. I: Ok, hum...what do you think may lead a person to getting a blood transfusion? S: If they are like an accident, or have an operation and they lose blood. I: Ok, and what are the kinds of things that may mess up a person's plans not to get a blood transfusion? S: Like complications during surgery or if you are in a car wreck. I: Hum, you also told me that AIDS can be passed on through people by using IV drugs. Can you tell me how that happens? S: Well, when you use, like somebody using a needle and they have AIDS, and then you use the same needle, you can probably get it cause it might be on the needle. I: Ok, and does it matter how often a person would share needles? S: The more you share it probably the more chance you would have to get it. I: And can you tell me how a person can be able to prevent getting the AIDS virus if they are sharing needles? S: Clean them. I: Ok, do you know how they would clean them? S: I don't know. I: Can you take a guess? S: Probably put alcohol in them. I: Ok, any thing else? S: Wash them I: Ok, well what would they wash them? S: Hum, I don't know, hot water. I: Ok, how well do you think this would really protect a person from getting the AIDS virus if they cleaned needles? Either washing or using alcohol? 2

3 S: Hum, probably not that well, because, I mean it probably wouldn't kill all of it on the needle. I: Ok, hum, what do you think may lead a person to sharing needles? S: If they are using drugs they probably aren't thinking about getting AIDS then. I: What are the kinds of things that may mess up a persons plans not to share needles? S: Well, I guess if they are not expecting to really get addicted or if they are high when they do. So they are not knowing what they are doing. I: Ok, and hum,..you also mentioned that AIDS is passed on between people when they have sex? Can you tell me a little bit more about that? S: Well, see if you have sex with a person, and there is an exchange of body fluids, then you'll probably get it. I: Ok, and does it matter how often a person would have sex? S: Well, if you have sex with just like one person and you know that they don't have it then you probably won't get it, but if you have it with a lot of people you don't know. I: And how many is a lot of people? S: I think more than one. I: And, is that, I guess over what time period more than one, I mean, would that be more than one a day, more than one a week. S: Like if you're not in a steady relationship with someone and you're having it. Because I think once you're in a steady relationship and you have sex, then you probably would of told, if you knew you would of told the person. I: Ok. S: But if you're just like every guy you go out with, having sex with them. I: Can you tell me how a person can be able to prevent getting AIDS if they are having sex? S: Hum, wear a condom. I: Ok, and how well do you think this would really protect a person from getting the AIDS virus? S: Well, I think it might do some but, there's, like it still fails and there are holes in, hole in them and stuff so. Probably wouldn't, I mean they would do some but not a lot. I: Ok, what do you think may lead a person to have sex? S: Well, if you're just, I mean, if you not really thinking about what you are doing. Or you just get caught up in the moment. And you just don't think about it. I: Ok, what are the kinds of things that may mess up a person plans not to have sex? 3

4 S: Well, if you are at a party, and you are like drunk or high and you not, you're not probably even know who you are doing it with but, or just I mean if the person you've been going out with them for awhile and you don't really plan it and you just happens. I: What effect does alcohol have on people? S: Oh, when you're drunk it makes you feel kind of good but, like afterwards you are sick. And you don't make very good decisions while you are drunk. I: Ok, Does drinking make much of a difference in a person's risk of getting AIDS? S: Probably, because I mean, while you are drunk you may not like depending on how much you drink, you may not know what you are doing or you may not care or think about it. I: How is this different for people who drink regularly compared to people who binge drink? Like if I told you so and so is a binge drinker, what do you think that would mean? S: I think they just, like they don't drink at all for awhile, but then like maybe on weekends or once a month, or something, they just really get blasted. I: Ok, and if I told you that someone drinks regularly, what would you think that means? S: Oh, like, at least a couple nights a week they are out, I mean they aren't really getting completely drunk, but maybe they'll drink a couple drinks a night. I mean they'll get a little tipsy or something, and then a couple nights they'll get drunk. I: Ok, and do you think that the ah, the person's risk of getting AIDS is different for a person who drinks regularly compared to with a person who binge drinks? S: I think the person who binge drinks probably has the greater chance because, I mean when they drink, they drink more and they don't remember what they did. And so they'll, I mean, they'll probably, they can have sex or something or do drugs and not realize what they are doing. I: Ok. Does it matter how often a person is exposed to the AIDS virus? S: I don't think so. I think probably, I mean once like the first time you are exposed to it, you'll probably get it. Even if it doesn't show up. I: And can you tell me what happens to a person when they get the AIDS virus? S: Well, right away nothing, but then later they'll get sick, like they'll be able to pick up diseases easier. I: Ok, Like what kind of diseases? S: Like pneumonia, and cancers. I: Ok, and can you tell me about what happens when a person gets AIDS? S: Well, they just, they get sick more and they'll, they won't be able to be exposed to as many like if you're exposed to a cold, they'll get it. Whereas another person probably wouldn't. I: Ok. And ah, how can some one learn whether he or she has the AIDS virus? S: Get tested like at your doctor's. 4

5 I: Ok, do you know what the test tests for? Or how it works? S: Hum, I think it tests for HIV. HIV antibodies. I: Ok, and do you know what kind of a test it is? S: A blood test? I: And why would a person decide to be tested? S: Well, if you're, I mean if you really are involved with a person and they ask if you have AIDS, and you're like, well I don't think so, but you might both get tested just so you know. I: And what would make you think a person has the AIDS virus? S: Well, if they were sick a lot and got tired, they were always tired. I: Ok. And what kinds of people have a lot to worry from the AIDS virus? S: Hum, people that have like who have like unprotected sex a lot, and HIV drug users. I: And when can people stop worrying about the AIDS virus at all? S: Like people just in general? Or people that have it? I: Hum, people in general? S: When they find a vaccine for it. I: Do you think people are making too big a deal of the AIDS virus? S: No, I mean I think in some ways they make too, in some ways they make it seem bigger than some of the other diseases. Like some cancers and stuff, but I mean I think the research that goes on for it is good, because, it's killing people so they should find a cure for it. I: Where have you learned about the AIDS virus? S: Mostly at school, like they'll have health, in health class and then assemblies they've had. I: Ok. Like a special assembly? S: Yeah, and like TV commercials. I: Ok, what things do they skip in AIDS classes at school? Can you think of any thing that you have learned outside of school about AIDS, that they don't tell you... S: Once, like in health class, they'll tell you that a condom completely protects you and that you are safe and everything but then other people say that no, because there are holes in the condom that a virus, like that ah, sperm can't go through but yet the virus can. I: And what do you believe? 5

6 S: I believe that they are not completely safe. Because, I mean things fail and nothings perfect. I: Do you think you know enough about the AIDS virus to protect yourself from it? S: Yeah. I: And is there anything that you would like to know about the AIDS virus? S: Hum, I'd like to know where it started. Like because, no one ever, there's like stupid rumors but, no one ever really says. I: AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, what does that tell you about it? S: Hum, I: Does that give you any information about it? S:..Well it tells you the initials like human immune deficiencies syndrome. But aside from that not really. I: Ok, suppose there is a new disease and all you know is that it is caused by a virus. What information can you get from that knowledge about it. Like if I told you that there was some new disease that is cause be a virus, would you be able to know how the disease is transmitted? S: (No) I: How the disease develops? S: No I: How the disease can be treated? S: Hum, yeah kind of, cause they can't, I mean they can treat a virus but they can't cure it. I: And now I have a couple of really random questions. What does safe sex mean? S: It means either having sex with a condom which is kind of safest because it protects you from diseases and pregnancy, or at least if you just want to protect it from pregnancy like using a diaphragm or something. I: Can you tell me more about condoms? Like what are the safest condoms to use for protection against AIDS? S: One's with spermicide. I: Ok, and do you know how that gives you additional protection? S: Like it's treated with a chemical on it. I: And what does this chemical do? S: Hum, I don't know if it kills the AIDS virus, but it will at least like slow it down. I: Ok, and what else do condoms protect you against? 6

7 S: Hum, they protect you against other STD's and getting pregnant. I: Do you know other STD's, I mean do you have any names for it? S: Hum, gonorrhea, clymidia, pelvic inflammatory. I: And what does IV drug use mean? S: That you, you inject the drug right into you blood stream with a needle. I: And do you think needles can be cleaned? S: I don't think so because I mean usually like when you go to the hospital and stuff they are disposable so it doesn't really seem that they would be able to be cleaned. I: Ok 7