World AIDS Day 2009 Reminds Us To Stay Educated & Protected
World AIDS Day 2009 is just around the corner on December 1. It is an opportunity to reflect on the millions of people who have been victims of this disease and the millions more who are being infected each and every day, across the planet.
It is also an important opportunity for our Black community to remind ourselves of the stakes and to make sure we are educated about a disease that affects us disproportionately in this country and in Africa.
Check out some basic facts about HIV & AIDS below and visit www.worldaidsday.org for information about World AIDS Day events in your area and ideas about how you can help.
RELATED BP GROUP: HIV Awareness & Support
THE BASICS
What is HIV?
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system – the body’s defence against diseases.
Are HIV and AIDS the same?
No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.
How is HIV passed on?
HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk.
The most common ways HIV is passed on are:
* Sex without a condom with someone living with HIV
* Sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment
* From an HIV-positive mother (to her child) during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (but with effective treatment and care the risk of transmission can be greatly reduced)
I don’t know anyone with HIV… do I?
Today there are more people than ever before living with HIV in the UK, but less people report knowing someone with HIV. People with HIV generally look healthy and many do not find it easy to tell other people, so you may not realise if someone you know if HIV positive. To learn more about the different groups of people affected by HIV view the statistics.
Is there a cure for HIV?
No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment. If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective.
RELATED BP GROUP: HIV Awareness & Support
How can I protect myself and others from HIV infection?
Always use a condom when having vaginal or anal sex. You also may want to use a condom or dental dam during oral sex although the risk of transmission of HIV is much lower. You can get free condoms from a sexual health clinic, which you can locate at via the fpa website. Never share needles, syringes or any other injecting equipment.
What’s it like living with HIV?
To read and hear stories from people living with HIV in the UK. Visit HIV Reality.
There are lots more facts about HIV on the NAT website.
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Dr. Conrad Murray CHARGED
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My name is Steven. I am living with AIDS since 1983. OK so most of those years I was just surviving. Now I feel I have a life, so now I am living with AIDS. I volunteer my time working for a condom company. I handle their website store. My goal is to make enough money to be able to donate 1:1 condoms purchased to condoms donated.
How can I protect myself and others from HIV infection?
In addition to the obvious information given above…learning to speak about this HIV/AIDS with your friends, family, and community. Remove the stigma often attached to this disease and the shame caused by the judgement of peers.
This is especially true of women and HIV. In general women are great communicators. When it comes to HIV, they often feel judged, shunned, and isolated by others perceptions of the disease.
As HIV/AIDS has become a chronic disease and not terminal, less and less attention is given to education, awareness and a cure. Funding has been taken away from many programs designed to educated the public. Clinics and sexual health facilities are unable to afford condoms for their clients (who typically can’t afford to purchase them).
Infection rates are on the rise in heterosexuals. While new infections are still more prevalent in the Gay community, low-income heterosexual women in large cities are definately starting to challenge the boys numbers.
Teenages and college age students are also on the rise in the statistics.
What can you do for World AIDS Day? Call a friend and say hello, talk about what you know about AIDS. If you want volunteer for an AIDS group, church or other support facility. Or Simply just go out and realise how thankful you should be for the incredible life you have in you.
Wow, no comments on here? I hope people are not pretending like this disease isn’t real because it is and it affects everyone.
@stormy, it’s sad but i think that society as an whole has got too “used” to this subject and seeing the words HIV/AIDS dont have the same effect on people that it used to have, all though it’s still a serious matter. I know for my generation we have heard about this virus all of our lives so it’s like old news…but dont get me wrong it’s still scary and everyone should be reminded that it’s still out here and anyone can get it
“Among adolescents and young adults diagnosed with HIV infection within the three-year period 2005 to 2007, 42% were black (non-Hispanic)”*, while the African-Americans represent approximately 6% of the over state population. New Era and Healing Our Land, Inc works to mobilize a grass roots response to the disproportionate gripe HIV/AIDS has on our community. We are currently the local affiliate of the Black AIDS Institute’s “Test 1 Million” (T1M) campaign, and through the campaign we seek to mobilize black communities to: get informed, get tested, get treated and get involved. We are building a movement to infect public health systems with love & social justice values; as well as affect the community’s ability to build and sustain a collective grassroots response. As part of the T1M campaign, New Era has tested approximately 400 individuals of color in less than two years.
You can Add us on Facebook Test 1 Million or email us New.Era.Boston@gmail.com
I agree
I see no one has posted a comment in here. Could it be because its a touchy subject, or people overlook matters of this nature. I sure hope people are paying attention, this is killer.