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Forty million people in our
world are infected with HIV/AIDS, and with a little number crunching that
is eleven out of every thousand people. It may only be a small percentage,
but people actually have more of a chance of becoming HIV positive than
getting struck by lightning. However, people can greatly lower their risk
of becoming HIV positive by simply being careful and aware. By just using
condoms or not sharing needles for drug use, the risk of becoming HIV
positive is much lower. Sadly, many people are unaware or uneducated
about HIV/AIDS. That is why the continent of Africa makes up for more HIV
cases than the rest of the world combined. Ever hear of “Knowledge is
power?”
HIV or
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is
NOT transmitted through kissing (closed mouth), hugging, contact with a
person, air, water, coughing, sneezing, sharing household items, or
insects. The HIV virus is transmitted through breast milk, sexual fluids
(semen, pre-ejaculation fluids, and vaginal secretions), and blood. This
deadly virus attacks the infected person’s immune system (the system that
fights infections) killing t-cells, and other cells vital to you immune
system. People get AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome) when the infection of HIV in the body reaches a severe point.
As the virus destroys the immune system, people become more susceptible to
not recovering from illnesses like a common cold.
Though
there is no cure to HIV/AIDS, there are drugs that can slow the process
down, allowing you to live a farily normal life. HIV was first discovered
when there was little treatment, and people were given very little time to
live. Today, some people live their entire lives with HIV. There are
twenty five drugs that are approved by the FDA to fight HIV. There are
also four classes of HIV drugs in which the twenty five approved by the
United States government fall under. Sadly, many people who have HIV need
to take as many as twenty pills a day which do cause vomiting and other
symptoms.
There are
other things being done to try to fight AIDS in addition to taking daily
pills and education. Former president Bill Clinton has reduced the price
on HIV/AIDS medicine and testing in developing countries by fifty to
seventy percent. He has also teamed up with countries to better treatment
facilities for HIV positive citizens. Bill and Melinda Gates have given
billions of dollars in grants to fight this disease. U2 singer Bono has
petitioned tirelessly to have first world countries give aid to Africa to
fight HIV/AIDS. You do not have to be famous to fight HIV/AIDS. Spread
the truth about the disease, organize a fund to support HIV/AIDS research
in your town, or make a donation to an HIV/AIDS researching organization.
Every cent does count, and if everyone in America gave one cent to
HIV/AIDS, our country could raise three million dollars.
However,
there are certain obstacles that face HIV/AIDS activists. I find it
hypocritical how the Pope condemns the use of condoms, while spreading the
message of peace and happiness. Having HIV is not happy or peaceful. By
not supporting condoms, he is telling 33% of the world not to use one of
the best forms of protection during sex. Thankfully, not all of the 33%
of the world’s population that the Pope influences are HIV positive, but
the Pope is sending a message almost saying; you should be healthy,
however, do not protect yourself during sex by using a condom, therefore
increasing your chance of STD’s and HIV.
The
president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, is also failing to stop the AIDS
virus. He is the leader of a country in which 20% of the population are
HIV positive. This problem could cause the life expectancy to drop to 40
years by 2008. To make matters worse, Thabo Mbeki, the successor to
Nelson Mandela, denied that HIV was transmitted through sex, and gave his
country little education about the fourth largest killer in the world. He
also did not give any medication to infected mothers. This medication
would greatly reduce the chances of a mother passing HIV to her child. He
also does not give the police proper education, and because of this, many
of the 3,000 rapes each day in South Africa are ignored by the police
because they are scared of HIV. Mbeki finally gave free medication to
mothers in 2002 because of international pressure, and is creating more
education programs.
Unlike
cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer's, people can completely prevent
HIV/AIDS. All people have to do is be aware; do not touch blood, have
unprotected sex, and do not share needles (better yet…do not do drugs).
Every minute, ten people are infected with HIV, will you be one of those
ten? HIV is preventable. Don’t be its next victim. |
