“AIDS may no longer be the leading killer of Americans ages 25 to 44 as it once was, but there are still 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and more than 56,000 new infections that occur every single year,” said President Barack Obama at a White House meeting before signing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS (Care) Act on Friday, Oct. 30.
“Some communities still experience unacceptably high rates of infection," Obama continued. "Gay men make up 2 or 3 percent of the population but more than half of all new cases. African-Americans make up roughly half of all new cases. Nearly half of all new cases now occur in the south, and a staggering 7 percent of Washington D.C.’s residents between the ages of 40 and 49 live with HIV/AIDS. And the epidemic here isn’t as severe as it is in several other U.S. cities.”
In 1984, 13-year-old Ryan White from Central Indiana got a blood transfusion that infected him with
HIV/AIDS. In 1990 when Ryan White passed away, after moving to another town because of the harassment he received from those who thought
HIV/AIDS was contagious from casual contact, Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch came together to create the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. And today, a little over a month before
World AIDS Day on
Dec. 1, Obama signed the fourth authorization for the CARE Act.
In Ryan White’s case, he could not help how he was infected by
HIV/AIDS. However, most
HIV/AIDS cases are from sex. The
top U.S. states in 2007 for adults to be infected with
HIV/AIDS, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were: New York (179,116); California (148,274); Florida (107,980); Texas (72,434); New Jersey (49,907); Pennsylvania (35,120); Illinois (34,783); Georgia (33,607) and Maryland (31,611).
And although there are more ways to get
HIV/AIDS other than sexual intercourse or oral sex, such as drug use from dirty needles; mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission; and blood transfusions; male-to-male sexual contact is still leading the highest statistics. But
HIV/AIDS is not a gay disease. It is a disease that needs to be overcome on all fronts, and
President Obama can only do so much of the job. Each person is responsible for being as safe as possible. Here are tips on how to do so:
Tip One: Use
condoms each time you have oral, anal or vaginal sex to practice
safe sex. Always keep some on hand—in your wallet, your purse, your nightstand and if you don’t have the money to buy them, there are free clinics like Chicago’s
BEHIV and
Planned Parenthood that distribute
condoms for free. Some high school and college health centers also give away free
condoms.
Tip Two: Visit
HIV/AIDS educational organizations (ex. Chicago’s
BEHIV) that distribute clean needles if you are going to be using drugs. (Note: This is not a message to endorse drug use. It is only to discourage sharing needles, which increases the spread of
HIV/AIDS.)
Tip Three: Require each new sexual partner you decide to have be tested for
HIV/AIDS. This is a way to not only see how serious this partner is about you by taking the extra step of taking care of your health and your partner’s, but it’s also an opportunity for the both of you to disclose how responsible you have been with past and current sexual partners.
Tip Four: Volunteer or apply to work for
HIV/AIDS organizations worldwide to get free education on one of the most deadly diseases today. This is a way to help other people and teach yourself about
HIV/AIDS.
Tip Five: Mothers should be tested for
HIV/AIDS as soon as they realize they are pregnant to avoid spreading
HIV/AIDS through breastfeeding.
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Comments
Im so thankful tha president obama cares about people living with hiv/aids. I have hiv and have been funded through ryan white adap program. THis saved my life or I wouldnt be alive today. I dont make much money so its impossible to pay for my medication. I only take one but just one is expensive. I bless him with all my heart for supporting this cause. I practiced safe sex but for some reason one day some leakage occured and I got contracted with the virus. THis diseasse has been a burden to my life, but I am happy I am well thanks to the wonderful medications for this illness. But thanks again to obama for fighting for this cause.
Brigitte, that's really unfortunate, especially considering I know far too many women who never use protection and have never ended up with anything. It's always disappointing to hear about those who practice safe sex and end up learning the hard way that nothing is as safe as abstinence. Was the spillage due to an incorrect condom size or was it put on incorrectly?
This is also another reason why I support the health care reform law. Without the Ryan White CARE Act, so many would be turned away from health care for preexisting conditions.
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