{"id":26677,"date":"2021-12-01T20:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T19:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=26677"},"modified":"2021-12-10T15:06:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T14:06:07","slug":"world-aids-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/world-aids-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Making a Difference this World AIDS Day?"},"content":{"rendered":"

December 1st marks World AIDS Day, and while many people don\u2019t think they relate to this holiday, it\u2019s a day we should all be celebrating\u2013 whether that be celebrating our friends living with and fighting AIDS or celebrating the long way science has come in educating us about this disease.<\/p>\n

A lot has changed, but that doesn\u2019t mean there isn’t more room for improvement. Can simply talking about HIV\/AIDS make an impactful change? Actually, yes. A very important one.<\/p>\n

\"Really<\/p>\n

The Real Problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Our attitudes. HIV does not discriminate, it isn\u2019t geared for any particular sex groups. It can affect anyone. These are people like you and me, our family members, our neighbors, the strangers that kindly open doors for us. It\u2019s time to put the \u201chuman\u201d back in human immunodeficiency virus.<\/p>\n

For example, when we think of cancer, those who encounter this disease are victims of it, but when we think about HIV\/AIDS, there\u2019s an insidious thinking that it\u2019s someone\u2019s fault. There is no room for blame, and we will not perpetuate this stigma associated with the HIV epidemic any longer.<\/p>\n

HIV = AIDS = Death. This is the equation most people mistakenly believe, but it turns out that as much as we want to internalize things by putting them into simple equations, life doesn\u2019t work like that. And thankfully so, when it comes to this equation.<\/p>\n

We should be careful about how we talk about HIV because language matters. It\u2019s a way in which we can help destigmify this disease. There is one equation, however, that we\u2019ve discovered true over time. Undetectable = untransmittable. This means that an HIV positive person cannot transmit HIV to an HIV negative person when they are undetectable, which people usually don\u2019t realize.<\/p>\n

We all contribute to the collaborative story that is HIV since we all have an HIV status, whether that be negative or positive. So instead of saying \u201cpeople with HIV\u201d we can say \u201cthose of us who are HIV positive\u201d because it expresses inclusivity. It not only comes down to how we talk about HIV, but how we react to it. Part of that is simply educating ourselves about the disease. You cannot transmit HIV through a handshake or toilet seat. HIV is not a gay-specific problem.<\/p>\n

Talking about sex in general is not easy, but it\u2019s important to identify these misconceptions to move past them and awareness is a big factor in prevention.<\/p>\n

Take Real Action<\/h2>\n

Thanks to science, HIV is not the death sentence it was in the 80s. According to the World Health Organization<\/a> (WHO), “With increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.”<\/p>\n

While HIV work has changed drastically over the past few decades, from HIV-specific health practitioners spending most of their time planning around patients\u2019 end-of-life care, there is still work to be done in the community.<\/p>\n

Housing is especially important to get people off the streets where their health is highly compromised and creates conditions that are less likely for them to be taking their medications. Access to running water, a consistent schedule, and other simplicities are key for any of us to maintain our health, especially in vulnerable populations, and would certainly help end AIDS.<\/p>\n

Once everyone has these basic necessities, we can bypass structural inequalities and underlying social injustices. The economic crisis is no friend to human rights, and tackling inequalities is a long-standing global promise that helps end AIDS and the HIV epidemic.<\/p>\n

When we remove the fear and shame around HIV\/AIDS, we make it easier for those who have the disease to speak up and educate others. One in every 303 people is HIV positive. We don\u2019t say this to scare you in how prevalent it is, but to remind you that we can\u2019t gloss over these statistics as numbers we simply hear on the news.<\/p>\n

This is about us and the community we all belong to\u2013 humanity, and making strides towards HIV prevention.<\/p>\n

The Real Heroes<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re interested in helping raise awareness of HIV\/AIDS through monetary or time contribution, check out the awesome NGOs below.<\/p>\n

The Global Fund<\/a><\/p>\n

International Aids Society<\/a><\/p>\n

Kaiser Family Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

UNAIDS<\/a><\/p>\n

Elton John AIDS Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

The Mercury Phoenix Trust<\/a><\/p>\n

If one of your friends told you they were HIV positive, would you offer them friendship, support and love without fear? We hope the answer is yes. Remember that you may easily be part of someone\u2019s first exchange when discovering they have HIV or AIDS, and the way you react can be a defining moment for them.<\/p>\n

HIV may be life-changing, but it is not life-defining. It is a manageable chronic illness when taken care of. You may be thinking, \u201cWhy should I get tested?\u201d because of reasons x, y and z. But the real question is \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I get tested?\u201d Make it a part of your annual health routine.<\/p>\n

You have nothing to lose, and only education and compassion to gain. Help make a difference this World AIDS Day!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

December 1st marks World AIDS Day, and while many people don\u2019t think they relate to this holiday, it\u2019s a day we should all be celebrating\u2013 whether that be celebrating our friends living with and fighting AIDS or celebrating the long way science has come in educating us about this disease. A lot has changed, but that doesn\u2019t mean there isn’t more room for improvement. Can simply talking about HIV\/AIDS make an impactful change? Actually, yes. A very important one. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":26771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[669],"coauthors":[947],"class_list":["post-26677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sexual-health","tag-sexual-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWorld AIDS Day - Make A Real Difference<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"World AIDS Day comes once a year, but there are plenty of ways we can help change the conversation. 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