Page 788 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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of transfer. Accidents involving spillage of blood over an individual, particularly where it is over a cut or a sore, or needlestick injuries are other examples of situations where the virus may be spread. (Quorum formed) However - and this cannot be stressed enough - the virus cannot be spread by normal social contact - by shaking hands, sharing coffee cups, kissing and so on.
Blood transfusions were, as many would be aware, one way in which the virus was able to be spread rapidly as they involve an interchange of blood products. The risk of contracting HIV infection in this way was eliminated in 1985 thanks to the introduction of comprehensive testing procedures in the blood banks, including the blood transfusion service operated by the Red Cross in the ACT. However, before these safeguards were in place, in fact, before it was known that they were needed, a large number of people requiring blood transfusions received contaminated blood and have since become HIV antibody positive, and in some cases have gone on to develop full-blown AIDS and die.
One group particularly affected by the transmission of AIDS through blood transfusions are people who suffer from haemophilia. Their need for frequent injections of clotting factors place them at strong risk of contracting the virus. Each injection is made from the concentrated clotting factor taken from thousands of blood donors. In the ACT, six of those who have been identified as HIV positive and one of the 12 who have died from AIDS, were people with haemophilia.
A second area in which action has been taken to reduce the risk of spreading the AIDS virus is the area of occupational health and safety within the hospital and health sector where needlestick and bloodspill accidents are more likely to occur. In addition to the introduction of new waste disposal systems and procedures within the public hospital system, an AIDS resource clinician is employed at Woden Valley Hospital to develop and deliver AIDS education programs to all ACT public hospital staff. These programs are designed to increase staff knowledge of HIV infection and AIDS and to reduce the risk of occupationally acquired HIV infection.
Other groups in the community who are regarded as being at high risk of catching the virus are those undertaking high risk behavioural activities, namely unprotected sexual activity and unsafe sharing of needles and syringes. At the outset of the spread of the AIDS virus within Australia the virus was mainly restricted to homosexual men, people with haemophilia and intravenous drug users. However, the virus is now more widespread, having begun to permeate the broader community through bisexual and heterosexual transfer and through needle sharing. Prevention activities must therefore be more and more directed at changing particular behaviour patterns rather than at particular sectoral groups within the community.
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