BB Supports: The fight against AIDS |
It has become almost fashionable for the rich and famous to use their money and fame to raise awareness about and further raise money to combat AIDS. Yet the disease remains a pandemic. Why? Firstly, there is still no cure for AIDS. In fact, there isn't even a preventive vaccine. Secondly, despite the hype, people continue to have half baked information on the subject. Thirdly, as happens often in society, we ostracize everything we don't understand; making AIDS patients outcasts and further preventing them from accessing the little medical help that is available. The result is that people, including little children, are dropping dead like flies.
As a part of our effort towards the cause, we present you with a quick round up of some must-know facts about AIDS.
1) AIDS is caused by the HIV virus which causes a failure of the immune system. AIDS itself does not kill. It makes you vulnerable to other diseases that will.
2) Apart from vaginal, anal and oral sex, AIDS can spread through blood transfusion, while sharing infected needles, from mother to child during pregnancy, child birth and breast feeding or through any other exposure to bodily fluids like semen, presemenal fluid, vaginal discharge, blood and through direct contact with the mucus membrane.
3) Treatment, albeit expensive and not easily available, exists for reducing mortality and morbidity of the HIV infection.
4) Three of the most common are that AIDS can spread through casual contact, that sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure AIDS, and that HIV can infect only homosexual men and drug users!
We also want to suggest some fairly logical ways of ensuring that you do not contract the disease.
1) DO not inject drugs into your system. (This is something that you shouldn't be doing for reasons other than AIDS prevention as well). If you're still stupid enough to do so, do not share needles with anyone (If you're injecting, you already have enough issues to add AIDS to that list!)
2) When having yourself vaccinated for medical purposes, make sure that the syringe and needle are disposable and opened and destroyed in front of you. The same applies if you're getting yourself tattooed.
3) Do not indulge in unprotected sex. You never know who is infected.
4) If you are sexually active, please get yourself tested for HIV regularly. Remember, if you've contracted the virus within the last six months, chances are that the tests will come clear.
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