The intention of this post is not to lash out at anyone. What I want to do here is just to ignite a certain level of interest in you to find out further about the facts (not myths) of HIV/AIDS in conjunction with the World AIDS Day 2009.
Let me quote myself from an entry that I've posted in July 2009 (click here to see post):-
"Many minority groups albeit strong in will and perseverance, sometimes do not have the means to live a good life. Illnesses ravage their bodies. They are tormented by silence, rejection and ultimately depression. They live amongst us but they are not widely accepted by the society, despite all the promises/statements (false ones) by the public and government. They are also part of the people who contribute to our country's GDP, development, professional skills and etc but in spite of their contributions, social stigma takes precedence. They are HIV+. How many of us can truly say that we support and champion for the HIV cause? We don't really... because we simply don't care. To many of us, we think that this group of people deserve what they get. We're wrong. More often than not, we think we know, but we don't. More often than not, we think it's about prevention. The public never thought about the other end of the spectrum; those who are already infected. These people need our support; without a doubt, our acceptance and ultimately, love. I have decided to start (gradually) fighting for the HIV cause for men and women alike. I will start with donations and gradually perhaps, voluntary work."
World AIDS Day (WAD) falls on 1/12/09 (Tuesday) this year. Initially, I wanted to write about another subject but since this subject is close to my heart, I thought that I should give this priority since 1/12/09 is just another 2 days away.
The HIV/AIDS situation domestically did not improve. The increase in rate of HIV+ women in our country is alarming. I would bet with you that should the newspaper (today) did not have pages dedicated to this subject matter, many of us would be blissfully unaware of the current situation of this international pandemic. However, in my honest opinion, one shouldn't be at fault for being ignorant about the statistics. It is not as if in our leisure time, we "google" for such knowledge. Nevertheless, being ignorant doesn't mean that it gives you the right to shun these group of people.
Here's a video I found in YouTube and the message is crystal: HIV+ people exist. Stop treating them like they don't.
I can almost hear many of you think this "Well, they asked for it themselves. Unprotected sex, unprotected random sex, needles, drugs and etc. They gay, you know. So it is something that would eventually happen. So, yeah, they asked for it."
If your thought is similar to the above, then I have no respect for you. Why should I have any respect for you? Yes, they did have unprotected sex and yeah, they may be drug addicts. BUT, they are people too. Things happen and we need to move on. A life is still a life. Theirs are no different from ours.
One perception of the public that REALLY irritates me is that they automatically link being gay with HIV infection and AIDS. What is that?? We need to move on and move away from such negative social stigma. Being gay doesn't give you the bullet train ticket to hell. Those who disagree, please drop a comment or just e-mail me. We can discuss your views.
Be it in Africa, or any parts of the world, people are suffering from this pandemic. How can we help?
Governments around the world are trying hard to eradicate this pandemic. While they know that it is impossible to bring it to 0%, they could at least control it. That's admirable. On the other hand, the public should give support to this group of people. They live amongst us. They are part of us. They need our understanding, care and ultimately love. It is easy for us to think "Hah, serves you right!". But how about them? The news of them being infected with the virus. I don't know how they feel, to be honest but I know it is a news that would make their world come crashing down on them. Suddenly, they fast forward their lives into the future and look at the grim possibility. It is at this very moment, they need all the support system that's available from their loved ones and the public.
They need love. They need to be loved. They need to know that they are still part of this functional world. The least we could do is to start by "listening" to them.
Hear this guy out:-
THEY NEED US TO CARE AND TO SUPPORT THEM.
So, let's accept them. In conjunction with the World AIDS Day, if you could get your hands on a red ribbon, wear it. Show your support to the group of people and in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
I can write so much more, but sometimes, it is better to talk or discuss about it. I would appreciate your views/opinions on this subject. Let us share!
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In case you are wondering how this HIV virus proliferate in its host's body, please watch the video. It is a good animation. Very clear.
Websites of Interest:-
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