World AIDS Day
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
No matter how much I think, I cannot say anything 'new' on this subject, because what has to be told has been told time & again.
Here are some international statistics about this deadly disease:
People living with HIV:
- 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide
- 31.3 million adults
- 15.7 million women
- 2.1 million children under 15
New HIV cases in 2007:
- 2.7 million people
- 2.3 million adults
- 430,000 children under 15
HIV-related deaths in 2007:
- 2 million total deaths
Everybody knows the saying 'Prevention is better than cure.' But what makes AIDS so deadly is the fact that once you contract the virus, you can never be cured. So cure is not an option here. Only prevention.
What can we do here?
To help ourselves- Firstly, know the basics. The nature of the virus, how it spreads etc. If you're getting tattooed, check that the tattoo artist opens up a new needle in front of you. Don't share syringes. And most importantly, DO NOT have unprotected sex. Stay monogamous, do not have multiple partners. Insist that you would-be spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend get an HIV test done. But you already knew this stuff, didn't you?
To help others- The whole point of World AIDS day is AIDS awareness & wearing the AIDS ribbon to show your support for people who are HIV+ve.
We should not alienate them but instead make them feel accepted in society.
Cheers,
