Posted by Kurt Wilde | Posted in | Posted on 8:11 AM
When was the last time you thought about AIDS?
Until recently, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the last time I had. I can remember watching public service announcements in between episodes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid urging me to “learn the facts about AIDS.” Just 15 years ago, the concern about AIDS was high enough that public service announcements were broadcast during Saturday morning cartoons. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen or heard anything about AIDS that wasn’t part of a build up to world AIDS day.
As of 2009 there were 33.3 million adults and children living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. 2.6 million were newly infected that year and 1.8 million died as a direct result of their infection. That’s a recruiting advantage of just under 1 million people.
At the end of 2007, there were approximately 600,000 Americans living with HIV and 470,902 with AIDS. These numbers are increasing annually.
It is estimated that one in every five people living with HIV haven’t had their infection diagnosed. HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic that is not going away anytime soon. Although there antiviral treatments that can slow the advance of the HIV infection, there is no actual cure. Additionally, such treatments are expensive and available only in developed countries.
The tragedy of HIV/AIDS is that it is 100% preventable.
The fight against HIV and AIDS is ongoing. You can help combat the virus by donating money to AIDS foundations and by volunteering. Such contributions are essential and greatly appreciated, but if you’re short on cash and time you can still help fight the virus by understanding how it’s transmitted, practicing safe sex, avoid sharing needles, and treating people living with HIV/AIDS with dignity and respect rather than the repulsion that ought to be reserved for victims of Zombie Flu.
HIV/AIDS is not Africa’s problem, it’s not Black America’s problem, and it’s not a Gay Community problem; it’s the worlds problem.
Be aware. Be safe. Contribute.
Thank you,
-K.W.
Statistics taken from: http://www.avert.org/
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