WHEN AIDS GOES TO CHURCH
Michael Turner
April 1, 1990
The Fall 1989 edition of LEADERSHIP included an article "When AIDS Comes to Church" by William E. Amos, Jr. Among the responses we received to that issue was this letter from a LEADERSHIP reader who has experience on the other side of this subject.
In 1982, I was employed as director of nurses at a small rural hospital in Washington State. My wife, an LPN, has a rare form of hemophilia found in women. Since she was to undergo a hysterectomy, she required a special blood product to prevent excessive bleeding. During surgery she received 70 units, which I'd ordered from a Portland, Oregon, blood bank.
At the time, there was very little information about AIDS, and no blood products were regularly tested until May 1985.
To make a long story short, Bonnie and I are both infected with the AIDS virus received from the contaminated blood products. I have not been able to work for the past five years due to the disabling effects of this virus. Bonnie is disabled, too.
It was more than three years before we were able to be tested via the ELISA test. We learned that up to 30 percent of known AIDS victims will not show a positive reaction. Thousands of people carry the AIDS virus unknowingly, because they were tested as false negative on the ELISA test.
Both of us have been negative on the ELISA tests for the past several years. Nevertheless we have most of the symptoms of AIDS-related complex (ARC), which is the precursor of full-blown AIDS.
Even though medical literature has pointed out these facts for at least the past five years, not many people are aware of them. The fact that Ruth, in the story by Pastor Amos, tested negative actually means nothing, due to the unpredictable nature of the virus in incubation.
The fact that Tom and Ruth ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
