Friday, November 28, 2008

It's been 30 years, it's time to stop the spread of AIDS

Bloggers Unite
In 2005, women represented 26 percent of new AIDS diagnoses, compared to only 11 percent of new AIDS cases reported in 1990. Most women are infected with HIV through heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
Women of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34.
The CDC reports over 56,000 new cases are estimated to have occurred in the United States in 2006.
I personally do not know anyone who has AIDS, but that doesn't mean I won't in my lifetime, or that I just don't know I know someone. While advances are being made everyday in finding an answer to stopping it, the rate worldwide of new infections each year is still over two and a half million.
This is no longer just the "gay virus" and it should concern all of us. It is a human concern. "UNAIDS estimates the number of AIDS case worldwide at 33 million; its previous estimate of 40 million was revised last year because of changes to how it counts cases.
Officials estimate that 2 million people died from AIDS last year, down from approximately 2.2 million in 2005." -AP http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-MED-AIDS-Report.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The sad thing is, condoms do reduce the risk of contracting AIDS through sex and clean needle programs help stop the spread through IV drug use, but most cities fear that passing out clean needles means they condone drug use, or worse yet, feel that handing out free condoms condones promiscuity. Of course, there are those men who refuse to wear one because it isn't "macho". Of course dying of AIDS or living on expensive medication regimes is even LESS MACHO.
Links to find out more:
Learn the Link: Drug abuse and AIDS
Aids.gov
One Condom Challenge to President Elect Barack Obama
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