Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Case Study about AIDS

After studing our webquest about AIDS now your opinion is important so please post me the answers of this case study .
Miriam is a successful businesswoman, well respected and admired in her place of work. Up to now she has put all her energy into developing her career with the support and encouragement of her husband, but now is the time to think of starting a family. When she suspected that she was pregnant she was very excited and went to the doctor for a check up. As part of the medical procedure it was routine for the doctor to do a blood test and a whole range of other tests, including an HIV test. After the examination Miriam was asked to return to the clinic in a week's time, when she would be given the news that confirmed her pregnancy.
On the appointed day Miriam stopped off one evening from work in order to collect the results. She'd planned a special meal for her husband in order to celebrate the good news. The doctor seemed serious when she entered his room. He told Miriam that she was indeed pregnant but that her blood test had also revealed that she was HIV-positive. She was very shocked. How could this be? Had the doctor made some mistake and mixed up her results with someone else's? She couldn't be HIV-positive, as she had not had sexual relations with any other men but her husband. Nor had she been involved in any other risky behaviour. This was surely a mistake. Then slowly she began to think; 'If I am HIV-positive does that mean my husband is also positive?
She left the clinic and instead of going straight home she called in at the house of her minister. She had to talk to someone. As you invite her in you are aware that she has been crying and looks quite shocked. After a moment's silence she says:
'I don't really know how to say this, but it's as if my whole life has come to a standstill. I'm numb. I've just come from the clinic where I was to pick up my pregnancy results ... but I got more than I bargained for. I'm pregnant all right but they found out that I'm HIV-positive. How can that be? What am I to do? How do I tell Joe? You've got to help me!'
How would you begin to help Miriam?
What kind of opening response would you make?
How would you reflect back what you had heard and picked up in terms of feelings?