World AIDS Day 2005

[formerly known as hf]

Today - December the 1st - Is World AIDS day

You're probably familiar with the figures - AIDS kills 8,000 a day, that's five every minute.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus known to cause AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) - AIDS sets in once HIV has seriously damaged a persons immune system, leaving a person vulnerable to all manner of illnesses, which can be fatal.

Current treatment relies upon diagnosing someone with HIV before they contract AIDS, and keeping them on drugs to delay or prevent the onset of AIDS.

Huge efforts have been made globally, by governments and other organisations, to combat AIDS on a global scale. Huge amounts of time and money are being invested.

World AIDS day is not necessarily about fundraising for charity - it is about raising awareness

There are only four ways in which you can contract HIV:
1. unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner (the most common);
2. sharing needles or other contaminated injection or skin-piercing equipment;
3. blood and blood products through, for example, infected transfusions and organ or tissue transplants (this does not happen in the US, EU and other countries where full and effective screening is in place);
4. transmission from infected mother to child in the womb or at birth and breastfeeding.

There is no cure. There is only prevention.
The best form of prevention of HIV and AIDS is the raising of awareness and removing stigma.

HIV is not something limited to the poor of Africa. It is global, in every nation, on every continent.

In the US and the UK, HIV infection is increasing.
No longer in the western world is it a 'gay' or 'junkie' disease. Heterosexual women and men are growing to become a much larger proportion of those infected with HIV.

The nature of the infection means that those who carry the burden are often the poorest and most vulnerable of society - sex workers and drug users are the most regularly infected.

From UNAIDS report (21st Novermber 2005):
Fewer than a fifth of those at risk of HIV have access even to the most basic prevention services; only one in ten of those living with HIV have been tested and know they are infected; only 15% of those who need life-saving HIV drugs in low and middle-income countries actually receive them.



What we can do:
Raise awareness: HIV does not discriminate - people do. People are still discriminated in workplaces and schools for having HIV.
- Wear the red ribbon: despite what some misunderstaindings that wearing the red ribbon indicates that you have AIDS, it is a simple gesture of recognition. Explain this to people who ask.

Get involved.
Let you local MP / Senator know that whilst the recent increase in efforts in helping the AIDs effort, more still needs to be done.

Sign the petition against the current US policy: Until there's a real AIDS vaccine - our best vaccine is education
Currently, the US government refuses to allow any donations it gives towards AIDS related causes to be used to preach anything but abstinence, to provides free contraception nor to assist sex workers.
Abstinence has been shown to be an ineffective form of educating. The reality in many situations is that the woman (or even the girl) does not have the freedom to say no. By not properly informing them of contraceptive options, many lives are being put in danger. Similarly, by refusing to help sex workers, many more lives, most deeply affected by HIV and AIDS, are being ignored and refused the help they desperately need.

[Lauren]

Right on. I like you more each day!

I remember this day last year... I was so naive, I thought they were celebrating Communism. Yay Communism!

[formerly known as hf]

You can e-mail your MP (if you're in the UK) via: http://www.stopaidscampaign.org.uk/

[Schme]

People always bothering Parliment as though they've got magical powers. There's a problem somewhere in the world? Pray to Parliment. Why don't we instead make it a day to leave Parliment alone? Those poor guys just want some rest. They work so very hard, and only make a hundred thousand a year.

I hear your pain, MPs of the Commonwealth. I truly do.

[formerly known as hf]

Their powers are as magical as my little finger on my left hand... But they have (a very tiny, weeny) bit more political power than I do, and, anyways, that's what they're paid for.

But you're probably right, they have loads more better things to do than their job, like claiming those three nights in the Paris Hilton with their mistress as expenses...

[Stan]

I thought that only happened with US Congress and Senate...except in Toledo not Paris.

[Nick]

I've heard there is a growing following that wants more proof that AIDS is caused by HIV.
Although I don't know enough on the issue to comment, but I imagine you'd have heard of this before, HF.
What do you think?

[formerly known as hf]

There is, the most prominent scientist is Professor Peter Duesberg, a virologist at the University of California at Berkeley, others have followed him. Some even say that the existence of HIV isn't fully proven, so that saying it causes AIDS doesn't make sense.

Others, mostly conspiracy theorists, say that AIDS is linked to drug companies (testing etc.) ethnic-cleansing or 'uundesirable-cleansing' (drug users) schemes developed by the US and other governments.

Some HIV suffereres embrace these things, as it gives them hope that they don't have anything fatatal, and that sex can be safe etc. etc.


As you can probably imagine, if it wasn't for the media and the internet, these opinions would hardly have been heard. They are held by a very small minority, especially in the medical proffession. Even without a full understanding of how HIV works and mutates to (or causes) AIDS, the data shows that the vast proportion of AIDS suffers who had been tested previously, had been tested positive for HIV.

EDIT: I did a really quick google for 'HIV causes AIDS' after writing that - there are loads of pages exploring the arguments around that, which are probably better informed and more detailed than I am