Today, December 1, 2009, marked the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day. Originally established by the World Health Organization in 1988, this day brings awareness to the shocking spread of the HIV/AIDS virus in global communities.
In America, the disease has reached new heights: Washington, DC alone, has more individual cases of HIV/AIDs in the entire nation. "I just don't understand," states *Dru Jackson, a native of DC and Maryland. "People know this disease is out there, they know that it can kill them...but they still don't protect themselves." How is it possible that the nation's capitol has more AIDS sufferers than even more populated areas?
When it was first publized in the 1980s, HIV/AIDS was even more mysterious to the public than it is now. Theories ran rampid that this was a conspiracy by the Government, a modern day genocide against people of color. Most people believed it to be a homosexual disease. Others, believed that the disease was contracted via contact between humans and lab animals. While these theories have for the most part been disproven, there are still no proven links to the origin of HIV. Whether one is gay, straight, black, white, American or African, AIDS affects EVERYONE.
The American education system has made many efforts to inform young people of the dangers of unprotected sex and sexually transmitted diseases, along with HIV/AIDS. In our country, there is more information about protective measures to take, contraception methods, and greater availability of birth control. Still, as Dru Jackson pointed out, people throw caution to the wind.
With an estimated 30 millions cases of HIV/AIDS in America, the prospect of finding a cure may seem glim. However, many people are putting in time in effort to make sure there will someday be an answer. We can all continue to educate one another on the practices of safe sex, the danger of drug use, and other ways fatal diseases like AIDS are spread. Let's do our part to ensure that research is continued to find an answer to this terrible disease.
For more information about HIV/AIDS awareness, visit hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays or worldaidsday.org.
*Subject's name changed to protect privacy.
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