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Pam Harjo
Pam Harjo is Director of Community Services and the HIV/AIDS Department at Hunter Health Clinic. She is a member of the Wichita Indian Mission United Methodist Church where she is a Certified Lay Speaker. She is also certified as an HIV/AIDS Educator, Counselor, and Trainer. She currently serves as a Member of The Kansas West Conference Native American Council. Pam is a member of the Kansas State Community Planning Group, and the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma. She is past Board Member of The National Minority AIDS Council, The Child Care Association, The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and Leadership Wichita Alumni. Pam and her husband Jerry have four children, and two grand-children. You may contact Pam at at (316) 262-3611 ext.124.
Health & Medicine
2003-04-01 05:59:00
Forever
:  What are autoimmune diseases? Are they more prevalent today? Once contracted, are they forever?
ANSWER:  As I have previously stated, I am not a medical doctor, but I will attempt to explain in layman terms what I have learned through my work as an HIV/AIDS educator and counselor, and because of my ethnicity... the things I have learned about autoimmune diseases. There is a complex network of cells and molecules that work to defend the human body against infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or anything foreign that may invade the human body, this network is called the immune system, the immune system lives in the human blood. When the immune system identifies a foreign substance it will send out cell "warriors" to attack the foreign substance and kill it. When a person has an autoimmune disease, their immune system mistakenly identifies and attacks it's own human body cells, organs, or tissues as if they were foreign invaders that don't belong. It is as if a person becomes allergic to parts of their own body. There are many autoimmune diseases (over 30), some examples are; lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune diseases cause inflammation, pain and damage that can effect different parts of the body and the damage may be permanent. There are millions of Americans who are diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, however it has been noted that women, and especially minority women are more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Can you catch an autoimmune disease? No. These diseases are not spread to other people like infections, and they are not related to AIDS. However, members of the same family may have autoimmune diseases because they have inherited a gene or set of genes that has predisposed them to develop certain diseases. Now, take the predisposed genetic makeup and add in chronic stress, environment, aging, some viral infections, hormones, or pregnancy, any of these could trigger a person to develop an autoimmune disease.Once you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, it is chronic.  This means you will always have the disease. The good news is, for some of the autoimmune diseases, if caught early enough and with very aggressive treatment, you can control the symptoms, or even go into remission (as if you don't even have the disease). However, you will always have to be followed by a doctor to be monitored and given appropriate medications.There are increasing cases diagnosed of rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus affecting more Native Americans than the general U.S. population, which includes all other minorities.HIV is a virus that causes AIDS, and as I mentioned above AIDS (an acquired immune deficiency) is not related to autoimmune diseases. However, if a person with an autoimmune disease contracts HIV, they will progress into an AIDS diagnosis faster, because their immune system is already compromised. 
 
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