World AIDS Day
Every year since I started this blog, I always make sure to take time out on December 1 and have a post about HIV and AIDS in honor of World AIDS Day. I have shared personal stories, and shared lists of celebrities who have contracted and/or died from HIV/AIDS. It is amazing to me that in such a short time that a positive HIV test has gone from a death sentence to something that seems inconsequential to many. It is not though. According to the United Nations, about 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and 2.5 million were infected last year alone. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control says there is an alarming rise in the spread of HIV among teenagers and young adults, with 1,000 new infections each month. Teens with HIV? To me that has to stop. And that is in the US. What is it like in other countries of the world, especially those with less access to medicines to control the virus? If you have never done so, I encourage you to watch the movie And The Band Played On about the very early days of the AIDS crisis. It is a powerful movie and has a great cast and was originally aired on HBO when no other network wanted to touch the movie. I encourage you to share your stories or experiences here.