My concern... if HIV/AIDS is a virus that is affecting someone every 9 1/2 minutes why is there not enough concern. Everytime I turn around, there is someone wearing a bright pink breast cancer shirt, bracelet or even a hat, magnets are on thier cars and triathlons, marathons are being ran every weekend all advertising to find a cure. But what about AIDS, to be honest I have not seen anything supporting or finding the cure, just seems odd to me.
To be completly honest, all this information that I have been reading over in my HIV Disease class is overwhelming, but so interesting I have probably heard the word HIV/AIDS maybe 5 times my WHOLE life before this class started and I think that is sad. This makes me want to go run for the cure and get a bracelet but most of all tell my friends what I have learned so far.
Kellie, please check your spelling and verb tenses before you click post. ...."marathons are being run every weekend.."
ReplyDeleteHIV/AIDS has a red ribbon. It use to be fashionable to wear the red ribbon everywhere; now not so much. People think that HIV is manageable, much like diabetes. But they couldn't be more wrong. There is a bracelet you can wear. Just google AIDS bracelet and see what pops up. You will be amazed.
Kellie, I wrote a similar blog to yours. The fact that I couldn't believe this subject isn't more talked about. If it is such a killer, why isn't it made more aware among the public? I hardly ever hear HIV or AIDS news in my life. It hasn't been until this class at UCF that I have really given it any thought.
ReplyDeleteKellie, I completely agree with the need for more AIDS/HIV awareness! Although I am grateful that there are pink breast cancer shirt, bracelet, hats, magnets, triathlons,and marathons for breast cancer, I think it is about time people are made more aware of the seriousness of AIDS/HIV! Even in the first week of class, I have also learned so much about HIV that I have never known or heard mentioned! You know that we could do a cause for AIDS marathon if we set it up through UCF! Would anyone else in the class be willing to participate if I set it up? Good luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteYou wonder why HIV doesn't get as much face time as breast cancer? In my opinion you have to look at the population that is effected by each of the conditions. On one hand, you have mothers, sisters, and grandmothers being stricken with a life threatening cancer and it is a condition that one does not bring upon themselves. Take a look at HIV on the other hand, what population would you say the disease effects the most? Could it be the gay population? Could it be that this country still in our day in age views that community with much distaste stemming from our religious views? Could it be that the disease is contracted through methods such as sharing of needles or sexual intercourse?
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that these negative signs have been attached to HIV and that there is not more of a national concern over finding a cure for the virus. What about the children that are born from a mother carrying HIV, and that child has no say in what they have to live with? In our society of image, HIV has a negative mass appeal due to the stereotypes that have become attached to it over the years. I can only hope that in my lifetime I will see a drastic change in our country and in the rest of the world when it comes to such maladies that effect the entire human population. HIV knows no color or creed and it is time that we stop picking and choosing what to be concerned about because of the image that comes with it and start trying to further the health of the worlds population.
I feel the same way when it comes to spreading HIV awareness. Sometimes I think people are being too careless with their lives, acting in the heat of the moment rather then thinking things through. I think this is a major problem when it comes to the containment of HIV, thats why I try to remember that for every action there is a consequence.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have been introduced to AIDS before, I honestly agree with you that there is not enought AIDS awareness. I believe that it might have to do with the level of exposure one gets. Personally, I do not know anyone openly living with HIV. I think that it is a tricky issue for some people to deal with compared to lets say breat cancer which many people openly share. Atleast I think I would feel a little apprehensive. Maybe the awareness starts with the affected and can help the general public become more aware?
ReplyDeleteKellie, I completely agree with you. Everyday I am constantly bombarded with pink ribbons and eveything pink for breast cancer, which don't get me wrong I am completely for, but I would really like to see some awareness for HIV/AIDS especially around campus.
ReplyDeleteHey Kellie! I agree that more emphasis needs to be put on the concern for HIV/AIDS. I have also come to find that the concern also varies between different ethnicities. In my blog for week 1 I speak of the lack of concern for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community. I hope to see a change in this trend in all communities!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog! At least we have this course to help more people become aware of HIV. As I read this blog I thought about the movie 'And The Band Played On'. The reason for this is due to the fact that when the outbreak of HIV occured the President of the United States took an extremely long time to speak about it. It is believed that this is because the spread began in the homosexual community. All kinds of people are infected with the disease and there should not be a resistance to helping people regardless of what groups first contracted the disease. I believe that everyone should become involved in HIV awareness.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is high school and college age kids alot of the time figure nothing bad will ever happen to them. Everything you do has a consquent good or bad. The people who get HIV they aren't bad people as we are all fighting for the same cause to someday have a cure for AIDS so it could possibly be stomped out.
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