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Today is December 1st and marks yet another World AIDS Day and I have to ask myself, what have I or anyone else accomplished?
Since December 1st 2005, which marked my first World AIDS Day being diagnosed positive, I have spent the day pondering the future of the fight against HIV/AIDS for myself and the world around me. Speaking from my own experience, the true cure for this disease, that has unfortunately taken record number of lives every day and is still the leading cause of death in most parts of Africa, is outreach, prevention and education. I am hopeful as I continually read more and more articles regarding the advances in medicine and science that both preserve people’s lives and looks for a permanent cure.
This year I have gone through so many changes due to my HIV-positive status. What used to be three pills a day is now five pills a day and recently evidence shows that there’s a slight possibility of lymphoma. I have also recently found out that a friend has been diagnosed HIV positive. So, today I sit here pondering the reality of the future of people living with HIV/AIDS; is it going to get better; is it ever going to stop?
Men who have sex with men still make up almost half of all those infected every year. This seems outrageous; what has all the fundraising, outreach, prevention and education helped if men who have sex with men are not protecting themselves? As I often say, something’s gotta give, but now I will say something’s gotta change!
I know I have no right to preach about protecting oneself; after all I knew about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and about protection but didn’t do enough about it to remain negative. However; this doesn’t mean what I am saying isn’t valid. If you are at all sexually active, even with protection, you should be getting tested regularly. Other diseases can be transmitted even without sexual activity that getting tested can detect. Being afraid or in denial can no longer be the answer to the problem, especially if you are a man who has sex with men and women.
I think my message is clear this World AIDS Day. Yes, it’s a great day to wear a red ribbon and attend a candlelight vigil or whatever else, but more needs to be done within each person’s community and, of course, with each person individually. If you have not been tested; get tested, do it today or make it a goal to do before the year is through.
I swear I wish I would have made better choices in my life and kept myself from having to go through this disease, but I thank God for what I have gone through and the ability to speak up about this issue that concerns us all. You can spend your time telling yourself it will never happen to you, but you should only say that if you are 100% sure it won’t. That surety only comes with protection and testing.
I continue to hope and pray for a world without such preventable diseases as HIV/AIDS. Please join me in my prayers that outreach, education, prevention and a cure will be available to all and that more will do what they can to stop the spread of HIV and fight AIDS.
For those interested in more information about HIV/AIDS, World AIDS Day events and HIV testing sites, please follow the links below. Also below are related links and articles about HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS Basics
My Story
North Star HIV/AIDS Page
World AIDS Day
National HIV Testing
Your friend,
Jey
Well, thanks for this thoughtful, compassionate post. And thanks for your willingness to be “out of the closet” as being HIV positive. Even now, in the fourth decade of this pandemic, there continues to be a lot of misunderstanding and judgment about it. (I’m also grateful for the North Star page publicizing statements by Dallin Oaks and Robert Oaks on HIV and AIDS, and about appropriate LDS responses to those living with HIV/AIDS.)
I guess if there’s anything to learn from the continuing spread of HIV despite everything we know about it, it is that education isn’t enough without people making the tough choices and actually acting on what they know. Isn’t that the way it is with everything in life?
I look forward to the time when we will be able to look back at all of this.
Thanks John for your comment, sorry I haven’t kept in touch. I think there’s so much that can be discussed surrounding the topic of preventing HIV infections or solutions to helping those already infected. I should have included that outreach, prevention and education are all great answers to the problem, but are simply not the only answers. After all that can be done, it still comes down to people’s behavior and choices and that’s just a part of everyday life.
So, the only viable solution is to do all that one can to help themselves and others, but in the end, what more can you do besides trying to enforce abstinence, protection or quarantine; all things nearly impossible to enforce? Leave it in their hands and God’s.
I failed to state that my main focus here was directed to LDS men who have sex with men and/or women. I have met or talked to several LDS guys who are either living the gay lifestyle or messing around here and there. Some of them don’t seem to really understand protection and the consequences of ignoring the disease. I am sure this might stem from the lack of sex education an LDS man got at home or at school growing up. I know I didn’t learn anything related to sex from family or teachers, but rather from guessing or friends who were allowed to take sex ed. My point was that this was not necessarily a good excuse for me not to find out later on in life as I became more sexual active. Nor is it a great excuse for anyone who now can access this information easily from the internet, Dept. of Health/CDC or free clinics.
Anyway, thanks again. I just want the message to get out there and be clear.
Jey