It's December First, and you may have seen some people wearing red.
Some facts about AIDS are that it causes a weaker immune system, there is no cure (but it can be slowed with intiretroviral therapy in some cases; it's mainly used to treat HIV to stop the disease from progressing to AIDS), and 30 million people have died (since 2009). It's considered to be a pandemic, and Sub-Saharan Africa has been the hardest hit (15 million children are orphaned because of AIDS). Bottom line, AIDS/HIV is still out there and shouldn't be ignored; it's a horrible disease. There's been discrimination and stigma relating to AIDS/HIV infected people, but by raising awareness, hopefully we can make that and this disease a thing of the past.
To learn more follow this link : http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/
...But not because it's Christmas time.
It's AIDS Awareness Day!
Although it is a bit too late to tell you to wear red by now to raise awareness, it's not too late to get educated!
It's AIDS Awareness Day!
Although it is a bit too late to tell you to wear red by now to raise awareness, it's not too late to get educated!
And by educated, I mean telling you straight up the facts about this disease and dismissing the myths.
One totally ridiculous myth I have heard about AIDS is that it was conceived by a pig and a cow. I don't even have any words for this. C'mon, seriously?! Oh, the magnitude of the asininity! Although, the stupidity factor of this myth may be due to the fact that I heard this from prepubescent scrawny 7th grade boys (We know they're not known to be the most mature). Fact: AIDS is believed to have originated in West Africa in the early twentieth century (the common belief is that hunters in West Africa killed and ate infected chimpanzees).
Another very untrue myth is one that states, "AIDS can be transmitted if infected people sneeze on you or you come in contact with their tears". Nope. That's not true in the least. AIDS can't be transmitted by saliva or tears. AIDS is transmitted generally by sex, contaminated needles and blood transfusions, and from mom to baby during pregnancy/breastfeeding. And no, you won't get AIDS if an insect bites you.
One totally ridiculous myth I have heard about AIDS is that it was conceived by a pig and a cow. I don't even have any words for this. C'mon, seriously?! Oh, the magnitude of the asininity! Although, the stupidity factor of this myth may be due to the fact that I heard this from prepubescent scrawny 7th grade boys (We know they're not known to be the most mature). Fact: AIDS is believed to have originated in West Africa in the early twentieth century (the common belief is that hunters in West Africa killed and ate infected chimpanzees).
Another very untrue myth is one that states, "AIDS can be transmitted if infected people sneeze on you or you come in contact with their tears". Nope. That's not true in the least. AIDS can't be transmitted by saliva or tears. AIDS is transmitted generally by sex, contaminated needles and blood transfusions, and from mom to baby during pregnancy/breastfeeding. And no, you won't get AIDS if an insect bites you.
Some facts about AIDS are that it causes a weaker immune system, there is no cure (but it can be slowed with intiretroviral therapy in some cases; it's mainly used to treat HIV to stop the disease from progressing to AIDS), and 30 million people have died (since 2009). It's considered to be a pandemic, and Sub-Saharan Africa has been the hardest hit (15 million children are orphaned because of AIDS). Bottom line, AIDS/HIV is still out there and shouldn't be ignored; it's a horrible disease. There's been discrimination and stigma relating to AIDS/HIV infected people, but by raising awareness, hopefully we can make that and this disease a thing of the past.
To learn more follow this link : http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/