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  • » Name: Amanda Bassa
  • » Location: VA
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The Undisputed Truth

Viewing Posts Tagged "HIV"   View All

World AIDS Day


December 01, 2007 | Tags: HIV, AIDS

For those that didn’t know, the first day of December every year is World AIDS Day. While I’m happy to see a day where this gets attention and in the process promotes awareness of the virus, it saddens me that AIDS is such a problem that it needs a worldwide day. HIV/AIDS has turned into an insanely huge problem that is plaguing every corner of the globe, and even with all of our advanced technologies, a cure still has yet to be found*.

I was stunned the other day at some statistics I heard. I knew D.C. had a very high HIV/AIDS rate, but the district now claims the highest rate in the United States, with 1 in 20 Washingtonians living with the virus. You know what that means? Let’s say you hit up a club in D.C. and 200 people are there. Statistically speaking, that means that there should be 10 HIV-positive people in that club. And you’ll have no idea who they are. Hell, they may have no idea who they are.

Worldwide there are upwards of 40 million people living with the virus.

It’s important to get tested if you know that you’re partaking in activities that put you at risk for this virus (or other STD’s as well). Unprotected sex, drug use that requires needles, etc. Even if you are damn near positive that you couldn’t have it…it’s always worth getting tested. Just do yourself that favor.

Don’t know where you can get tested?

Visit http://www.hivtest.org/, enter your zip code, and you will find a list of places you can go – as well as if they’re free or not, what method of testing they use (oral swabs or blood tests), and whether or not the testing site is confidential or anonymous. The resources are there – use them. People’s lives depend on it.

Other useful, easy to understand information can be found at..

http://www.aids.gov/ (Access to United States government info on the virus)

http://www.kff.org/hivaids/3029.cfm (Access to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s HIV/AIDS fact sheets for each year with very interesting statistics and charts).

http://www.avert.org/positive.htm (A site with useful information, but especially useful info on how to deal with a positive test result and what it means for other aspects of your life).

 

Yeah, some of the info out there comes off sort of informational pamphlet-like, but it still needs to be known and understood. It's for your own good.

Oh, and the word of the day? Condom. For real. Even if you’re dead broke – if you look hard enough you can find places that give them out for free. Having casual sex does not mean you should be casual in taking precautions.

Shit is real, and it can happen to you. So stay safe.




 

*I'm leaving conspiracy theories out of this post this time.


The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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