Today is World Aids Day!

According to the ‘World AIDS Day‘ organization……..> http://www.worldaidsday.org/, ‘World AIDS Day 2010 is all about raising awareness to tackle HIV prejudice and help stop the spread of HIV.

HIV and AIDS terms are used interchangebly to mean the same. Well, in fact one is used to refer to the final progression of the disease. Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Most people shy from talking about the disease, preferring to remain detached and refer to it as that disease. Unfortunately, ‘that’ disease does not identify with a class stratification system, race, gender, tribe, tall, short, fat, skinny etc. It has no face to it, when it strikes it does not announce it’s visit, nor does it tell you it’s intention to leave. It is that unwelcome guest,that you are uncomfortable to tell ‘GET OUT OF MY HOUSE’!

Awareness of HIV/AIDS does not stop at the point of knowledge, it actually starts by YOU getting TESTED, and KNOWING YOUR STATUS. The CDC National HIV and STD Testing Resources A Service For The Centers For Disease and Control Prevention ……….>http://www.hivtest.org/index.cfm provides a wealth of information on sexually transmitted diseases and testing.

It is important that everyone takes the initiative to educate themselves about this very IMPORTANT subject matter. There are tons of resources online, and if you feel overwhelmed by the information, go a step further and seek clarification via a medical resource. It could be a health center, two blocks from your house, your family doctor etc.  Take the initiative!!

Thus far I have been impressed by YAHOO‘s effort’s to raise awareness. If you go to their homepage…..>http://www.yahoo.com/, on the immediate left of its logo, they have the HIV/AIDS symbol! It might not mean much, but when you click on it, it leads you to this: http://events.yahoo.com/worldaidsday/2010/ . Take your time exploring this site, look at the timeline. There has been progress made, BUT we still have a long way to go!

AFRICA has been hit the hardest out of all the continents, to be more precise Sub-Saharan Africa.  The term refers to the countries that lie to the south of the Sahara Desert.  Women and children remain affected the most!  For current information on HIV/AIDS in Africa, aidsinafrica.net provides  up to date information……….>http://www.aidsinafrica.net/

In honor of this day, light a red candle and most importantly GET TESTED!

 

Happy World AIDS Day!