I am HIV/AIDS Affected

I grew up in the 1980's when HIV was first diagnosed amongst gay, white, American men. At that point in my life, I was unconcerned about HIV and AIDS. I was too young and the people effected by the diesase didn't look like me. Why should I have been concerned? For a number of years, my mother worked at the Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center, which is an orgainzation that provides HIV/AIDS information and training to health care professionals. I was exposed to and surrounded by HIV/AIDS information and HIV effected/affected people all of the time. I still wasn't too concerned about HIV/AIDS. It was a theoretical disease to me, something that happened to other people...gay people, IV drug users, people who practiced risky sexual behaviors, sex workers, white people, poor people, older people, them...

The face of HIV/AIDS, the picture of who I thought was at an increased risk for contracting the disease has now started to look too familiar. The face is starting to look like me: A heterosexual, female of African decent. In America, African American women residing in the south are at an increased risk for contracting HIV than women living in any other part of the country. Eighty-three percent of all HIV/AIDS cases are reported amongst women. Forty-five percent of new HIV diagnosis were transmitted through unprotected, heterosexual intercourse. African Amercan women are 19 times more likely than white women to recieve an HIV diagnosis.

In South Africa, the situation is even more grave, and the face of HIV/AIDS still looks like me: young, female, heterosexual, black. Within a four block radius around my office, there are no less than 6 functioning funeral homes. You must ask yourself: How is it that there can be so many, and all of them are still in business? Basic economics: Supply in demand. There are about 1500 new HIV infections occuring each day. It is estimated that half of South African 15 year olds will not live to collect retirement, and individuals in this same cohort have a 56% chance of dying before the age of 60. There are approximately 5.4 million people infected with HIV in South Africa. That represents 11% of the population. One third of women between the ages of 25 and 29 are infected with the virus, and 19% of the work-age population (20-64) is HIV positive.

I am HIV/AIDS Affect.

I now ask: Are you HIV/AIDS Affected too?

World AIDS Day

Mail & Guardian: AIDS report paints bleak picture of youth

Mail & Guardian: Missing childhood, Missing Parents

BBC Report- Case Study: South Africa

Alternative Information and Development Centre

CDC: 2005 HIV Surveillance Report