Foreign Patients

Seeing a patient who's first language is not English can be quite an ordeal. I once saw a Polish man, who was so drunk that he couldn't not say anything except make a incomprehensible moaning sound. I am sure, had he spoken English, we would have been in the same predicament. At 3am in the morning, there is no chance of getting a translator, and since I could not rule out a possible head injury, I had to admit him overnight, to see if his state changed once he was more sober.

This morning I have just seen a French patient. He spoke English fairly well, but was very anxious and so spat out his words at a rapid pace.

Little Miss Medic: How can I help you this morning?

French Man: I am very worried, that I might have HIV. My body is itching all over. My penis is fine, my pee is fine, my poo is fine, but I am not fine...

LMM: Alright. Itching is not commonly a symptom of HIV. What other symptoms do you have?

FM: I have a sore throat and my chest is burning, but my pee is fine and my poo is fine...

LMM:  Let me look in your throat then. ( I grab a box of tounge depressors...) OK just open your mouth and say "Aaah"

FM: But I have a pain in my ball (he grabs his scrotum, in case I don't understand the word "ball"), the pain is just in the one ball. It is not too bad. But me pee is fine, my poo is fine.

(I drop the entire box of tongue depressors on the floor, trying not to laugh!)

FM: Don't worry Madame, I will pick them up (he bends down and at lightning pace gathers them all up)

LMM: Thank you. Let us do the HIV test so we can see if you really need to be so anxious about it all.

FM: I am very scared! I did something stupid. I am so scared. I love my life, I do not want to lose it...

LMM: The test is negative...

FM: ...so scared, why did I do it?

LMM: The test is negative!

FM: What? Negative? Oooh ( he leaps out and grabs me into a bear hug) Thank you, thank you!

LMM: It is a pleasure.

FM: You save my life. You really did!

LMM: Ah it was nothing!

FM: No, you are wonderful thank you.

                                                                       source


Gotta love the French!

LMM

xoxo

HIV Myths

Having spent the whole of last week testing people for HIV, I thought I might share some of the myths that people have come up with.

1. You cannot get HIV from kissing. One guy was absolutely hell bent on testing for HIV after kissing someone "dodgy". I explained to him that unless, both of them were bleeding profusely from their tongues, there was no risk.

2. You cannot get cured from HIV by having sex with a virgin. Unfortunately this is a big one in Sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional healers would tell this to clients and this started the epidemic of the raping of young children. Absolutely horrific!

3. HIV is not spread only by gay people, IV drug users or African people. Minnie Mouse, one of the patients that you will meet later this week in Flashback Fridays, reassured herself that her partner was not HIV positive because he was not from Africa, not gay or a drug user. Wake up! HIV is everywhere. It affects people from all walks of life.

4. You can't get HIV from oral sex. I have seen so many people who have had sex with a condom, but not with oral sex. They then read up online about HIV and have a freak out that they didn't use a condom for oral sex too. How many bored housewives or business men are completely ignorant? Too many!

5. You can't get HIV through sex if you didn't take off your clothes. This is the best one. Saw a young chinese man, who had visited a prostitute. He had chickened out when it came time to perform the deed, but there was some rubbing, although he remained fully clothed. He was insistent that he could have contracted the disease. This is the complete other extreme, and I eventually had to do an HIV test.


6. ARVS don't help. See the movie below.



Be informed!

xoxo

World AIDS Day

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. Am working in a swanky, posh GP practice and only finish work when it has already been dark for 3 hours :( Stay tuned to hear all about it and see some pics.

Today marks the start of HIV Awareness Month, with the 1st of December being World Aids Day.




Hope this video inspires, shocks and saddens you. HIV is a HUGE problem! What are you going to do about it?