I believe in a world without AIDS

With all of the chaos of the past week, an important day past. Yesterday was World Aids Day. The 20th one. Dec 1st. I missed it, so instead today is my day to remember, my day to wear red.

So today I think of Ariel, I hope she is still jumping around the house and not forgetting to do her homework, I hope she doesn’t have to take any more pills. I think of Sandra, I hope she is still healthy and now has a diploma. I think about Lateesha, I pray she still has her mom.

And most of all I remember Ken.

I’m now in a country where AIDS is a true epidemic, where it affects millions of people in all social spheres and I acknowledge that its different here, different stigma, different magnitude. But my experience with HIV/AIDS is from a far away land, where there are resources and support, or at least an attempt at them. The disease that I’ve experienced affects children who miss months of school because their parents are too sick to care for them, who take more pills each day then I do in a month. It affects teenagers who are asymptomatic and who’s biggest issue is how to tell the boy they like that they are positive. It affects mothers, who live with the guilt of the effect of their choices on their children. It serves as a reminder of the past for those who have picked themselves up and changed their lives only to find that something horrible has followed. It affects my father who should be growing old and laughing with his best friend but instead only has memories.

This is one disease we can stop, there may not be a cure, but we know how to prevent it. If you haven’t yet, get tested. Know your status, I do. Be safe, even when you’re drunk. Make your partner get tested. Use condoms. There is no reason for smart, educated people like us to continue spread this disease. If you do nothing else, protect yourself.

What can you do?

1. End HIV prejudice. Know the facts and remove the stigma - http://www.nat.org.uk/HIV-Facts.aspx
2. Get tested, tell your friends & family to get tested.
- In New York the GMHC offers free HIV tests, no co-pay and complete anonymity - http://www.gmhc.org/
- In Bombay Lilavati does HIV/STD testing for cheap - http://www.lilavatihospital.com/
3. Give your time and/or money to a charity that supports AIDS research or provides support to positive people and their families.
- US - http://www.gmhc.org/ or http://www.ejaf.org/
- India - http://www.giveindia.org/c-56-health.aspx
- UK - http://www.worldaidsday.org/
- Canada - http://www.canadahelps.org/

Most importantly, believe in a world without AIDS...