Doctor's Column: I am a man with one woman-like breast. What should I do?

Dear Anonymous, I suppose the test you did was an HIV test. It is commendable that you did this test because many people fear to do one only to live in ignorance about their status.

If you had not been sexually involved three months or more before the test, it is likely that your second test is only a formality and will still be negative and thus you need not fear to do another one.

It is recommended that one does another test at least three months after the first one since one may have a germ in his blood but it has not yet been detected in what is called a window period.

Because HIV infection if not well managed may lead to death, many people will suspect they have the problem with any symptom that takes long to cure. In your case, you seem to have an allergic reaction which means you are over-reacting to a substance you ate, drank or which may have come in contact with your body. The reaction will come back whenever you get exposed to whatever it is, regardless of the treatment given.

Allergies may cause skin swellings which itch and scratching them only worsens them by introducing germs.

HIV infection may cause swellings in its early stages but these are deeper (lymph nodes) and it is unlikely that it could be the cause of your feared symptom. Since you were negative, please make sure you remain so by being faithful and routinely having HIV tests so that you get the courage to remain negative. So go ahead and have another test, ,which I’m sure will be negative.

Dear doctor, explain to me why children get malaria every evening and yet they may play during the day. Do the parasites know it is night when our medical facilities are closed and therefore attack?
Eddy Byankabya

Dear Eddy, malaria is a disease caused by plasmodium parasites acquired from bites of an infected female Anopheles mosquitoes seeking a blood meal to help mature their eggs. The plasmodium parasites include, Falciparum, Ovale, Vivax, Malariae and lately, Knowlesi is causing malaria in Malaysia. The parasites attack our red blood cells and feast on blood cell pigments only for the cells to burst releasing the parasites and debris in blood resulting in fever.

Fortunately, the body clears the mess and the fever wanes, only for the parasites to attack other cells which later burst, causing yet another bout of fever.

Between attacks, therefore, temperature may be normal or even below normal. The fever may reccur in cycles at intervals of 48 hours (in so-called tertian malaria) or 72 hours (quartan malaria), depending on the type of parasites.

So it is not true that the parasites target their victims at a time when the medics are away so that they are not eliminated.

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