Currently I work on a project, SCMS (Learn about SCMS), which is funded by the USG under PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief ... the ONE thing Bush got right! learn more about PEPFAR). When I first started my position with SCMS a manager, on my first day walked up to me and said "What are the ABCs of HIV"? I had never heard this before and so I stood there dumbfounded and finally admitted that I had no idea. His response was "Abstinence, Be faithful and Condoms you can add "D" for Don't do drugs since the virus is spread intravenously." So simple, right? And yet I know two women who were infected with the virus by their unfaithful husbands - not in Africa - but right here in Virginia and Maryland. As I travel the world women are not ignorant to their husband's shenanigans and yet they still refuse to insist on protection to save their own lives.
A few days ago I shared a link on my FB page ~ AIDS Hotspots: 15 states with the most cases (AIDS Hotspots). The top 10 are: Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, New Jersy, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Florida, New York and Washington DC. And this is based on numbers of those who are tested. But what about those that are not tested? What about those who are walking around with HIV, killing them slowly without even realizing it? With new drugs on the market and people living longer why is it still an issue to get tested? Many people do not want to get tested because they are afraid of the results. We who have been tested have been there. You know you were a wee bit of a freak this past year and you know you may have not used a condom and so for those few hours or few days as you await the test results you pace the floor, you bite your nails, you cannot concentrate and then you may even begin to think "What will I do if the results are positive?" So to avoid this short period of anxiety you just remain ignorant and avoid getting the test. My friend, this ignorance not only affects you but it affects your future spouse / mate. And to the future spouse / mate do now encourage this ignorance ~ before becoming intimate GET THE TEST! Women, what about your future children? Do they not deserve to be born HIV-free? With Rapid Oral testing you can know your results in as little as 20 minutes! Be proactive in maintaining your health ~ KNOW YOUR STATUS ...
... and KNOW THE FACTS about HIV! Take the AVERT AIDS Challenge by following this link: http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm. Play online, on facebook, even tweet your score (#AVERTAIDSChallenge), and let's take HIV/AIDS awareness around the world! I tweeted my score of 45 points in 2min and 13 seconds. And I even learned something new about HIV!
Know the facts ~ know your status ~ remember the "ABC and Ds" of HIV on this World AIDS Day.
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