December 1st is World AIDS Day, a time when governments and citizens alike reflect on how one of the biggest public health disasters of the 20th century has affected the world, and what we can do to make sure it is not a disaster in the 21st century.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Over a million Americans are estimated to be living with HIV. Worldwide an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV. To find out more statistics and ways to support those living with HIV/AIDS, visit http://www.aids.gov. For me, I think about how one of the biggest legacies of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the fact that people who had the infection had to become their own advocates for health, both in the US and abroad. While millions were getting sick, many governments refused to acknowledge the growing epidemic- citing it as the “gay cancer” or something associated only with immigrants of color. It took years to figure out how the HIV/AIDS virus was spread, how it affects the body, and how to avoid it. If not for vocal activists and artists, scientists and health care professionals, teachers and students, and those infected demanding the governments of the world to take notice and start finding ways to fight rather than deny the epidemic, we may not have made such progress.
In 1981 it was first identified and reported by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, but we know it was around before the early 1980’s. Now, over twenty eight years after HIV/AIDS received its first public recognition in the national media, we know a lot. We know what the virus looks like, how the HIV strand kills the immune system leaving the body with such lower white blood cells, that the body develops AIDS and then is vulnerable to other infections. We know how to avoid contracting it through harm reduction practices, such as safer sex, using clean needles with drugs, making sure the blood banks screen for infections. We know how to treat the infection, how to take medicines and use behavioral therapies to extend the lives of patients. However, we still have a long way to go.
People still receive the virus, despite the billions of dollars poured into health education of varying quality. Everyone is aware of HIV/AIDS, thanks to movies, TV, red GAP shirts and 5 cent Starbucks donations- but what is awareness worth really? Buying things will not stop this epidemic. In cases like this, the way to stop a virus is to educate, make smart decisions, and advocate for access to health care. The little actions of a few people can lead to lower statistics and hopefully turn the tide of infection rates world-wide. Education, critical thinking, empowerment and accessibility are values that teensource.org is currently focusing on to make sure this site meets the needs of our readers. So in our own humble way, this site is our way of fighting against the years of ignorance, denial and discrimination in order to change the statistics. So please, research away, enjoy our features, and commemorate World AIDS Day.