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Medical literacy with Reuben Zulu, Ndola (2026)

21/09/2026

About HIV/AIDS

- HIV is a virus that causes AIDs and it has sub types which are HIV-1 and HIV-2.

- HIV can be transmitted into two ways which are Vertical transmission and Horizontal transmission.

- Vertical transmission means HIV is been transmitted from mother to child and this can happen when the baby is in the uterus, during delivery or after delivery ( through breast feeding)

- Horizontal transmission of HIV means acquiring HIV through unprotected s*x with an infected person, needle pricks, sharing needles and other sharp objects with an infected person or through blood to blood contact with an infected person.

- For HIV to reproduce or create more copies of itself,it it requires cells like the CD4 cells.

- The CD4 cells are part of the defence system of the body and when they are attacked by HIV, the number of CD4 cells reduces.

- When the CD4 cells reduces ( CD4 count dropping), the body becomes defenceless such that every other bacteria, fungi, virus or protozoa that can not harm the body if the immune system is strong tends to take advantage and begins to cause infections such as recurrent flu, herpes zooster ( umulilo wa lesa), persistent diarrhoea, oral thrush among other opportunistic infections.

- The more the virus keeps multiplying by attacking the CD4 cells, the weaker the body becomes and the more severe the opportunistic infections become ( Tb and cancers).

- When one is taking ARVs, it helps interms of stopping the multiplication of the virus whereby increasing the CD4 cells in the body and causing a stronger immune system that can stand and fight certain opportunistic infections.

- Being HIV positive does not kill a person but what kills an individual is when one stops or doesn't want to take ARVs.

-When one is not taking ARVs, the viral load increases while the CD4 count reduces and this makes the body's defense system to be very weak whereby attracting infections that can eventually led to death. When you are not taking ARVs or you stop taking ARVs, you will not die there and then but your death will be gradual as the CD4 count drops.

-Remember being HIV positive is not the end of Life but one can live a healthy life if he or she is taking ARVs accordingly.

-It is also important to note that being HIV positive is not a passport of indulging in unprotected s*x. As you indulge in unprotected s*x, you increase the chances of contracting the other sub type of HIV, syphilis, gonorrohea, warts, clamydia among other s*xually transmitted infections.

Stay safe.

We do not own the rights of the image attached below and it is only being used for educational purposes.

16/09/2026

Are you struggling with the use of alcohol or any other drugs?
Do you wish to stop?Here are Some tips that may help for someone wanting to quit drugs.

1) Acceptance that you have a drug use problem is the first step.
When you are able to see the negative consequences of taking a drug, it creates a mindset of wanting to Change.

2) When you decide to change, you should know that this is a process where one can have lapses and relapses but staying committed to change plan yields positive results.
Change can be very difficult to initiate especially that when you decide to change, you need to let go of certain lifestyles, you need to let go of certain friends ( ba Big Buyer), certain chilling places and Certain things that you like as you build a new lifestyle.
But believe me the benefits of changing are much more worthy than staying in a path of destruction that can affect one's health, reputation, work, families among others.

3) In the process of change, it is important to identify and know your triggers.

Triggers can be external or internal.

Triggers can come from our friends, places, from the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the chats we have, seeing the actual drugs, cravings among others.

When you know your triggers it becomes very easy to overcome the drug use problem.

Where possible if the trigger can be avoided, avoid the trigger, avoid that place, avoid that friend who influences you to take a drug.
Life is an individual journey and each person has his or her own destiny so don't be influenced by others.
Cravings are just in our mind and cravings can't kill a person, so when you are craving for a drug, tell your mind that you are going to have a drug but later ( without actually meaning that you will take a drug), when you tell your mind this, it lessens the pressure and the urge to take a drug.

People who take drugs usually have a known pattern on how the events unfold, they know to say if this happens the next thing to follow will be this and the end result will be me taking a drug, but this can also create an advantage, if you know your drug use pattern, you can easily break the cycle by blocking one step in the process, you can easily cut that call from the buyer so that he doesn't call you to give you an update that he has bought enough alcohol.

Example if you know to say you usually drink or smoke around 17 hours, you will notice that around that particular time, the cravings will be more. so around this time as a way of managing cravings, you need to make your mind busy around 17 hours.

We will keep sharing more tips that maybe helpful to get over the drug use problem but if you may need further assistance you can reach out to us.

Stay away from drugs.

10/09/2026

Reason why you should not experiment with Drugs.

When you take any pyschoactive Drug ( mind changing Drug) it affects the various chemicals and processes in the body.

One of the chemicals affected when one takes a drug is Dopamine.

Dopamine is a chemical that is responsible for reward and making the body experience pleasure as well as motivation.
It also making someone experience euphoria ( a feeling of good and wellbeing).

Dopamine is released in the body whenever one does an activity that the body deems to be rewarding or pleasurable

Natural processes like
a) Completing a task and working towards achieving a life goal
b) Eating nice food
c) Exercise
e) Celebrating little wins
f) Adequate sleep
Can increase the levels of dopamine.

When one takes a drug for the first time,dopamine is released in abnormally large amounts causing one to feel good, relaxed like they have never experienced.
Because dopamine can increase the motivation and cause pleasure, one will be motivated to repeat the activity that they did ( taking a drug) to have high levels of Dopamine.

When this happens, an individual will want to take more of a drug so that they experience the pleasure they first experienced after taking a drug but since the body is not used to having abnormally large amounts of Dopamine, it will undergo downgrading whereby large amounts of Dopamine won't be able to produce an affect experienced at first use.

This then further prompts one to continue taking a drug in huge amounts with the view of experiencing the first pleasure but that does not happen but it makes one to get deeper into drugs and worse off, others start combining other drugs so that they experience that pleasure.

But this creates a vicious cycle where one continues to use a drug while being dependent on that drug.

Stay away from drugs, don't experiment with drugs, you can't control how the drugs will affect your body.

What is shown on the image below can be alternatives that one can do in place of taking drugs.

09/09/2026

Psychoactive drugs can be classified according to their effects on the brain

1) There are drugs that increase or stimulate the function of the brain whereby causing most of the body functions to be on the higher side. When this happens one may have:
a) an Increased appetite
b) May have high energy levels
c) Inability to sleep
d) Talking and Laughing too much
e) Rapid thoughts
f) Increased sweating, heart rate, blood pressure
g) elevated mood
Such drugs are known as stimulants

Example of such drugs : Cannabis in some people works as a stimulant, Alcohol is small amounts, crystal m**h AKA ice or mbwabwasha, co***ne.

2) Depressants: these they slow down the function of the brain, the signs and symptoms are the opposites of what stimulants do.
Examples of such drugs: He**in ( volo or Tai White), Benylin with codein, diazepam ( Blue mash), cannabis in some individuals, alcohol in large amounts.

3) Hallucinogens: These they affect the five sense modality, one may experience sensory distortion when he or she talks such type of a Drug.
People tend to have funny feelings where one can actually see a piece of music and hear colours.

Examples: Magic Mushrooms, Psilocybin.

Depending on a type of drug taken, it can have serious consequences despite the short lived benefits.
Imagine someone has taken Hallucinogens and he starts seeing a 4 year old baby girl wearing a diaper as a very old women with a very big behind..

Stay away from pyschoactive drugs, seek help before it is too late.
Taking drugs can cloud one's judgement and thinking such that one can not realize that what they are doing is wrong.

07/09/2026

We Continue looking at Cannabis abuse.

In this post we will talk about some the perceived advantages of abusing Cannabis Vs the negative consequences of abusing Cannabis.

The aim of weighing the the pros and cons is for people to get a bigger picture of the effects of abusing Cannabis.

In most cases abusers of cannabis lack information on the effects and they only focus on how high they become when they smoke without looking at the other side of the negative consequences.

We should also know that when someone is abusing drugs, the insights is usually distorted, one can not see or notice the negative consequences of taking a Drug.
Worse off, when one is addicted, he or she can take a drug even if they know the negative consequences of taking a drug but this is due to the changes that happen in the brain when one takes drugs.

People who take Cannabis often cite some of the following as benefits of taking Cannabis
1) It increases appetite
2) Reduces stress and gives courage/confidence
3) It makes someone to feel happy and forget about problems
4) It increases the creativity.
5) It has spiritual powers where witches can't come near you.
6) It gives energy.

While these may be cited as the benefits that one may get, the negative consequences are much more. Some of the negative consequences include:
1) Increased chances of having mental health issues and other health issues
2) Broken relationships, family members loose confidence and trust in an abuser.
3) Cannabis abuse can cause Amotivational Syndrome where one may not be motivated to do anything productive in life.That is why some cannabis abusers may drop out from school, may stop work, may leave their homes to stay in the ghetto. Other may not even be motivated to look after their bodies, they stop bathing and looking smart.
4) Cannabis abuse may affect one's perception, emotions and behaviour and this may lead to increased violence, crime and other risky behaviours.
We should note that Cannabis in some individuals can affect how they see things at the same time it may act as a stimulant which may stimulate even the s*xual drive and later this can lead to incidents of r**e case, defilement and so**my.
5) Dealing in Cannabis by way of smoking or selling has legal implications, your can be arrested.

We will continue to share more negative consequences on cannabis abuse.

Stay away from drugs, the benefits you may be getting from abusing Cannabis are just for a short while but the negative consequences can destroy your entire future.

05/09/2026

Let us learn som**hing about Cannabis ( Ichamba, Ibange, Skunk, High grade, Cheese, Nando)

Cannabis has about 450 chemicals in its raw form but when it is heated, the chemicals reach to about 2000.

Some chemicals found in cannabis are useful and can be used for medicinal purposes while there are other chemicals that are cancer causing agent with others having the ability to change how the mind works.

A major culprit in cannabis is a chemical known as Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (T.H.C). This is the chemical that is responsible for changing how the mind works. The higher the T.H.C content the more potent the cannabis is and the more the mind gets affected and the more one gets high.

In a modern day World cannabis is being modified so that the T.H.C content increases and this is why we are seeing different types of Cannabis ( Cheese, Green, Black etc).

With the modification happening on cannabis, it is producing many effects. The effects of cannabis use can be acute or chronic.

In the next post we will weigh the alleged benefits of cannabis Vs the effects of cannabis.

Stay away from drugs, they ruin lives, families and destines and the bad part is that a person who is struggling with substance abuse may lack insight and they may not be aware that they have a problem.

Seek professional help, there is always hope for the living.

22/08/2026

ALCOHOL USE DISORDER.

What you need to know.

Alcohol use disorder refers to a situation where one has a problem in controlling or stopping the use of alcohol despite the negative consequences that maybe associated with the use of Alcohol.

The negative consequences can be health related issues like: liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic pancreatitis, Ulcers, Gastritis, Gout, mental related problems, neuropathy, seizures.

The other negative consequences can be social, financial and work related where an individual has difficulties to maintain relationships, provide for the family, always in debt and running in trouble at work because of the drinking habits.

Although alcohol is legally accepted as a social drug the following are some of the things we need to know.

1) Alcohol has Zero health benefits.

2) Alcohol is a carcinogenic agent ( It is a cancer causing agent)

3) Alcohol is associated with alot of effects as seen above.

4) When one wants to take alcohol for social reasons, he or she should not take more than 14 units of alcohol in a week.

14 units of alcohol means, an individual is supposed to know the volume and the percentage of alcohol they are taking.
The 14 units of alcohol should not be taken at once but there should be free alcohol days in between.

You may have a question on how you can know this 14 units of Alcohol.

Well this is how you can know.
You need to know first know the percentage of alcohol you are taking and the volume you are taking.

Example
If you are taking alcohol that has 5% alcohol by volume and you take a bottle that is 750 mls then the percentage that one is taking is calculated as

Units = Percentage of Alcohol X volume of Alcohol ÷ 1000

Units = 5% X 750 / 1000

Units= 3750 ÷ 1000

Units = 3.75

Note: that no amount of alcohol is safe for an individual.

Stay away from drug abuse.

21/08/2026

CONJUNCTIVITIS

This is the inflammation of the part of the eye known as the conjunctiva.
The conjuctiva is the part of the eye that has a function of protecting the eye from dust, microbes, and other foreign particles

Conjunctivitis can be categorised as:

1) Viral Conjunctivitis : This is caused by a virus and it is characterised by a clear watery discharge from the eyes and pinkish appearance of the eyes.

2) Allergic Conjunctivitis : This is due to allergies or irritants
Allergies can range from the following
a) Perfumes
b) Bathing Soap
c) Lotion
e) Smoke and Dust
f) Certain Food
g) Chemicals used for fitting eye lashes and makeup

Allergic Conjunctivitis can be characteristed by pinkish appearance of the eyes, swelling, watery discharge and itchiness.

3) Bacterial Conjunctivitis :
This is caused by bacteria and this is characterised by pinkish appearance of the eyes, swelling of the eyes and a purulent eyes discharge ( yellowish eye discharge)
During child birth if a mother has gonorrohea, the bacteria can be passed to the child and it will present with yellowish eye discharge that develops after child birth.

Management of conjunctivitis is dependant on the type of conjunctivitis and you can easily know the type based on the above information.
Always seek medical attention.

20/08/2026

You might have wondered if you visit a health facility, on the social history, the health care provider usually asks if you take alcohol or if you use any pyschoactive ( mind altering drugs) like to***co.
This question is asked not because of one's appearance or as a teasing question but it is asked because pyschoactive drugs are associated with alot of health complications such as

1) Non communicable diseases such as Hypertension, Diabetes, kidney failure, liver Cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse, Stroke, Gout, cancers, among others

The likely hood of one having any of the above conditions is based on the genetic makeup, duration of abusing pyschoactive drugs, quantity abused among others.

We should note that non communicable diseases develop gradually and one may use a pyschoactive drug without noticing that their health is being compromised.

2) Mental related issues like:
Alcohol induced psychosis, substance induced psychosis, mood related disorders, amotivational
Syndrome, cognitive impairment, memory issues among others.

Choose life, stay away from pyschoactive drugs.

19/08/2026

Facts about Zambian S***f ( Nsunko)

1) Nsunko is crushed to***co that is mixed in some cases with things like : bondwe ( amaranth leaves), Artane ( ama atani or Benzehexol or BH5 or Kela), cannabis, fertilizer ( urea) or urine scales ( the whitish hard substance that is formed in a urinary pan or chemba in Bemba) in cases where one can't afford to get urea.
Others add baking soda to s***f.
All these things maybe added with the view to make that particular s***f unique and more potent.

2) The common reasons why people take s***f are that
- They believe it cures a running nose.
- They believe it can stop a toothache
- They believe that warms the body for s*xual pleasure
- They use it as a vaginal tightner.
- Others believe that is drops the blood pressure if one is hypertensive.

Most of these reasons given are actually not true except that s***f actually warms the body.

Regardless of the reason why one may take S***f, s***f use poses alot of health risks which may include

1) Nasal, oral and cervical cancer ( To***co is a cancer causing agent)
2) Halitosis ( bad breath)
3) Bleeding from the gums and drooling of saliva any how
4) Bleeding from the nose.
5) Hypertension ( To***co is a Vasoconstrictor and Stimulant)
6) Staining and rotten teeth
7) It causes a poor oral toilet ( poor oral hygiene).
Imagine putting the urine scales in your mouth and you even feel that the salt is on point, urine contains some salts so that s***f if it is salty it might have been made from urine scales.
8) Increases chances of getting a stroke

OTHER EFFECTS
1) Broken relationships
2) Addiction
3) Reduced self esteem due to bad breath, stained and rotten teeth.

S***f abuse is on the rise and we need to raise awareness of its harmful effects..
Seek professional help.

Say no to s***f (Nsunko abuse).

Medical literacy with Reuben Zulu

21/09/2026

16/09/2026

10/09/2026

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

05/09/2026

22/08/2026

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19/08/2026

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