THE
      VISIT:
     
     
      Lesley
      O'Flanagan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Unless
      we
      have
      been
      living
      with
     
     
      our
      heads
      in
      the
      sand
      for
      the
     
     
      last
      few
      years,
      we
      should
      all
     
     
      appreciate
      the
      enormity
      of
      the
     
     
      AIDS
      problem.
      Last
      week
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      University
      of
      Price
      Edward
     
     
      Island
      was
      graced
      with
      the:
     
     
      presence
      of
      a
      Mr.
      Mike.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McDonald.
      He
      came
      to
      talk
      to
     
     
      us
      about
      the
      Acquired
      Immune
     
     
      Deficiency
      Disease,
      otherwise
     
     
      known
      as
      A.I.D.S.,
      the
      disease
     
     
      which
      depletes
      the
      body's
     
     
      immune
      system.
      ©
      Mr.
      McDonald
     
     
      himself
      suffers
      from
      the
      virus
     
     
      and
      felt
      it
      was
      important
      to
     
     
      speak
      to
      us
      to
      make
      us
      more
     
     
      aware
      of
      this
      increasingly
     
     
      global
      problem.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      McDonald
      presented
      us
      with
     
     
      a
      personal
      yet
      informative
     
     
      account
      of
      his
      life
      as
      a
      person
     
     
      with
      Aids'
      (P.W.A.)
      as
      he
      terms
     
     
      it.
      He
      himself
      is
      a
      homosexual
     
     
      priest
      who
      contracted
      the
      Aids
     
     
      virus
      approximately
      three
      years
     
     
      ago.
      He
      is
      still
      in,
      what
      is
     
     
      known
      as
      the
      symptomatic
      stage
     
     
      of
      the
      disease,
      where
      actual
     
     
      visible
      symptoms
      are
      minimal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      first
      realized
      something
      was
     
     
      wrong
      when
      he
      found
      that
      a
     
     
      certain
      cold
      persisted
      and
     
     
      would
      not
      go
      away.
      It
      was
      only
     
     
      a
      good
      deal
      later
      that
      he
      fell
     
     
      seriously
      ill
      was
      taken
      into
     
     
      hospital,
      asked
      for
      an
      Aids
     
     
      test
      and
      was
      diagnosed
      as
      being
     
     
      HIV+.
      The
      initial
      devastation
     
     
      of
      this
      news
      however
      did
      not
     
     
      destroy
      him,
      on
      the
      contrary,
     
     
      it
      seems
      from
      any
      observers
     
     
      standpoint,
      that
      it
      'changed'
     
     
      his
      life
      in
      appositive
      way.
      It
     
     
      has
      obviously
      been
      an
      uphill
     
     
      struggle
      for
      him
      to
      deal
      with
     
     
      the
      loss
      of
      a
      great
      part
      of
      his
     
     
      Priesthood,
      as
      he
      is
      no
      longer
     
     
      allowed
      to
      preach
      or
      give
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Euchéevist
      on
      a
      Sunday,
      which
      he
     
     
      has
      resigned
      himself
      to
      this
     
     
      and
      has
      turned
      the
      focus
      in
      his
     
     
      life
      be
      educating
      himself,
     
     
      about
      the
      disease
      from
      which
      he
     
     
      suffers
      and
      those
      around
      him
     
     
      who
      complacently
      sit
      back
     
     
      feeling
      that,
      ‘it
      will
      never
     
     
      happen
      to
      me'.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      his
      talk
      he
      stressed
      the
     
     
      necessity
      to
      cast
      aside
      our
     
     
      fears
      and
      delusions
      about
      the
     
     
      disease,
      that
      it
      is
      merely
      a
     
     
      disease
      contracted
      and
      spread
     
     
      by
      the
      homosexual
      community-
     
     
      We
      should
      instead
      realize
      that
     
     
      we
      are
      all
      at
      risk
      if
      we
      act
     
     
      irresponsibly
      by
      exchanging
     
     
      introvenous
      drug
      needled
      or
     
     
      practice
      unsafe
      sex
      etc.
      It
      is
     
     
      also
      important
      to
      realize
     
     
      according
      to
      Mr.
      McDonald
      that
     
     
      the
      disease
      has
      a
      _
      lengthy
     
     
      incubation
      period.
      This
      means
     
     
      that
      even
      if
      you
      are
      tested
      for
     
     
      the
      HIV
      virus
      and
      that
      results
     
     
      are
      negative
      then
      you
      may
      still
     
     
      be
      carrying
      the
      disease,
      as
      it
     
     
      takes
      a
      period
      of
      perhaps
      at
     
     
      least
      three
      months
      to
      manifest
     
     
      itself
      in
      the
      blood
      sample
     
     
      taken
      during
      the
      test.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      present
      in
      this
      country
      an
     
     
      Aids
      test
      will
      not
      be
      carried
     
     
      out
      unless
      the
      doctor
      or
     
     
      whoever
      has’
      the
      _
      patient's
     
     
      permission.
      However
      the
     
     
      results
      of
      such
      a
      test
      will
      be
     
     
      reported
      to
      the
      Medical
      Officer
     
     
      in
      the
      province.
      There
      is
     
     
      comfort
      though,
      in
      that
      no
     
     
      named
      are
      mentioned,
      so
      it
      is
     
     
      fairly
      confidential.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      the
      moment
      the
      fight
      against
     
     
      Aids
      is
      to
      be
      fought
      on
      two
     
     
      fronts.
      .
      Firstly
      ft
      is
      of
      dire
     
     
      necessity
      to
      arrest
      the
      spread
     
     
      of
      disease
      by
      coming
      for
      the
     
     
      sufferers
      and
      finding
      a
     
     
      treatment
      .to
      cure
      the.
      271.
     
     
      Secondly
      and
      equally
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      17,1991
      Page
      2)