College of Western Idaho
Spread Knowledge Not AIDS
Combating AIDS in Idaho
Veronica Keith
0100743
English 0W11
Leslie Jewkes
March, 12 2013
ABSTRACT
There
is a lack of knowledge when it comes to HIV/AIDS. There have been many facts
and myths tossed around causing some to be confused as to what is a fact and
what is a myth. Plenty of research has been done about this incurable disease.
However, there is low percentage of awareness amongst teenagers and young
adults as to exactly what HIV/AIDS is and how it comes in contact with us.
Spread Knowledge Not AIDS
At one point or another everyone has
heard of AIDS. But, what is AIDS? Most
people know it’s an incurable disease and others know only those living in
developing countries can have AIDS. Yes, AIDS is incurable; however the reality
is that anyone can contract AIDS. It does not matter if someone is a homosexual
or a heterosexual. Contracting AIDS comes from drug use, being sexually active,
and other bodily fluids. There are so many individuals who do not see the harm
in those one-night-stands or having multiple partners. Sexual encounters are
one of the leading ways to receive AIDS. ”About 56,000 people in the U.S. get HIV each year, and 18,000
people with AIDS die each year. Anyone can get HIV -- men, women, and children,
people who are gay or straight” (AIDS United). A total
of “1.2 million people are living with AIDS in the United States, with a fifth
being unaware of their status” (Allies Linked for the Prevention of HIV and
AIDS). So, that one-night-stand so many
young adults and teens are having has the potential to cause more than just
regret. A scary statistic is that “Idaho ranked 45th highest among
the 50 states in cumulative reported AIDS cases” (AIDS in Idaho).
The
above graph is from 2006 to 2009 and it shows how many Idaho residents are
living with HIV/AIDS. It is highly doubtful that many Idahoans, especially
teens and young adults are aware of these statistics. There is a lack of knowledge
about AIDS and us as a community must give out factual information about this
terrible disease and how to prevent it.
It is important to spread facts in
Idaho because not everyone knows what AIDS is or what it causes. AIDS stands
for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, “AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV”
(Basic Statistics). Meaning a person could get infected with HIV and later
develop AIDS.
“If
you contract HIV/AIDS the illness will alter your immune system making you much
more vulnerable to other infections and diseases which then worsens the
HIV/AIDS disease. Someone who is infected with HIV does not always look sick,
and the majority of the time they do not even know they are HIV positive” ( The
AIDS Epidemic).
What
most people think about AIDS is that people can get infected from mosquito bites,
being sneezed on or swimming in the same pool as someone with AIDS. The truth
is HIV/AIDS does not spread easily from person to person. “Being infected with
HIV/AIDS has never been known to come from the spread of sweat, tears or
saliva” (The AIDS Epidemic). However, even a small amount of blood in the mouth
of the person you are kissing, who is HIV positive can be transmitted over to
you. Some people like to think that HIV/AIDS happens to other people and that
it will not happen so close to home. We often think that we are “AIDS” proof. This
is exactly what my Uncle Jason thought. When talking to my dad about his brother
being HIV/AIDS positive I could hear the
pain in his voice from having to suffer through the loss of his brother. My dad
shared with me his memory of how his brother Jason was infected with HIV when
his partner, Larry, cheated on him and became HIV positive. Jason and Larry had
been in a relationship for 7 years, and built their relationship on love and
trust. When Jason found out Larry had
been unfaithful he was heartbroken, and a few months later when Jason found out
he was now HIV positive he was distraught. Larry died only 4 months after he
found out he was infected with HIV/AIDS. Jason was at an all time low; he recently
found out he was HIV positive and now he had to go through losing the love of
his life. My dad went on remembering how Jason use to say,
“I
have my Master’s degree in business, I graduated top in my class, and I’m only
33 years old, how can I be HIV positive?”
Jason
was so bitter about being HIV positive, he wanted to make others suffer. For 9
months he had casual sexual encounters without telling his partners he was HIV
positive. My dad said he finally had to put a stop to it. He confronted Jason
and told him he needed to stop. Jason stopped and began to accept his new life.
Because of his massive medical bills, Jason was forced to move back in with his
Mom. My dad began to notice Jason was drastically losing weight; he was losing
in between 1 to 5 pounds a month. His body was slowly giving up on him. My dad
described to me how much everyone’s relationship with Jason changed when they
found out he was HIV positive. Everyone started acting like he had leprosy.
Jason’s closest friend and family were all scared to touch him, talk to him,
and some were afraid to even be in the same room as him. My dad goes on
reminiscing about a birthday party where all the family was in attendance. He
says:
“My
son, Billy was just a toddler at the time and Jason went to share a piece of
his cake with him. Jason took a bite of the cake, then handed Billy the same
fork Jason had been using. I instantly jumped up and slapped the fork out of
Jason’s hand. Sure, it was rude but there was no way I was risking my son
getting HIV” (Keith).
My
dad, like most people, thought HIV can be contracted by simply touching someone
who was infected by the disease. Jason lived being HIV positive for 2 years.
After he was infected with AIDS, 6 months later at the age of 35, my Uncle
Jason died. I was 5 years old when he died. I never got a chance to know my
Uncle. My dad use to think that the only reason his brother contracted HIV/AIDS
was because he was a homosexual. “In 2010 more than 12,875 heterosexual men and
women were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS” (The AIDS Epidemic). HIV/AIDS does not
discriminate against age, color, or sex. “3000 adolescents under the age of 13
were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the United States in 2009” (The AIDS Epidemic),
while the majority of people diagnosed with AIDS were in between the ages of 20
to 24. I am 22 years old and cannot even begin to imagine how I would feel if I
were to be diagnosed with AIDS, let alone how my family and loved ones would
feel. Again, the fact is that anyone can become infected with HIV/AIDS. There
is so much to know about this horrible disease and yet so little is being done
to share the information that could possibly save a life. While talking about
his brother, my dad mentioned how he wishes no one would ever have to go
through that with a family member. If we have the information and the
knowledgeable people why is there not more being done?
With how much sex is in music and on
television, it is nearly impossible for us to preach abstinence. Shows such as
“16 and pregnant” and “Teen Mom” almost glorify and promote sexual activity at
a young age. Parents often think that if their child is using a condom then
that is all the protection they will need, just as long as their son or
daughter doesn’t end up a teenage parent. We need to inform parents and teens
that having a baby is the least of their worries. Aside from all the other
terrible sexually transmitted diseases, anyone who is sexually active with
someone who is HIV positive will also contract HIV. Transmitting HIV/AIDS is
not just specific to intercourse either. “Oral sex and even some cases of deep
kissing have been known to cause the spread of HIV” (Combating
the Aids Epidemic). Some people don’t show signs of being
HIV positive for years after being infected. They go about living their lives
as they normally would, not knowing they are carrying this deadly weapon. They
still have their sexual encounters, and now the person they just had
intercourse with is now HIV positive as well, and will more than likely pass it
on to another person. This must stop!
Within the last year Idaho has decreased
7% in HIV/AIDS cases and need to keep seeing that percentage increase. Providing
factual information will help increase that percentage “Ignorance and prejudice
are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease. World AIDS Day, on the
first of December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight
against HIV and AIDS” (Combating
the Spread of AIDS). Now is a great chance to hold meeting in
our community and schools. Schools have assembles for drunk driving and drug
use. HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention should be right alongside those topics
as well. Drug use and HIV/AIDS go hand in hand since one can also contract
HIV/AIDS from sharing needles for drugs. We must educate ourselves and others
with the myths and facts about HIV/AIDS. A very common myth about HIV/AIDS is
that death occurs quickly. The fact is that for HIV to become infected with
AIDS it can take anywhere from 1 to 12 years. Unless one knows right away that
they are HIV positive they could very well go on for 10 or more years living
with and spreading a very grave possession to have. “You can help prevent HIV
from processing into AIDS by seeing your doctor regularly and following your
doctors recommendations” (Combating the Spread of
Aids). Yes, there is currently no cure for
HIV/AIDS, but there is medicine to slow the process way down and help keep you
alive longer. This in turn is the information that we should be giving to our
family, friends and our community.
To help make these meetings and
assemblies possible we all need to make a conscience decision to do so. We can
start by doing simple things by donating time, by helping bake goods for a
fundraiser, by handing out flyers, or by give a monetary donation to help
support the cause. “World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also
about increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World
AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that
there are many things still to be done” (Slater
). Make every day World AIDS day by spreading facts and not AIDS, because “it
is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance”
(Iverson).
Works
Cited
"AIDS
United." AIDS United. N.p., 8 May 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.aidsunited.org>.
"AIDS
in Idaho." AIDS in Idaho. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.
<http://Healthandwelfare.idaho.gov>.
"Allies
Linked for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS ." Allies Linked for the
Prevention of HIV and AIDS . N.p., 22 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.alphaidaho.org>.
"Basic
Statistics | Statistics and Surveillance | Topics | CDC HIV/AIDS." Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm>.
"Combating the Aids Epidemic." Inpharma
Weekly. (2001): 3. Print.
"Combating the Spread of Aids." Nursing
Standard (royal College of Nursing (great Britain) : 1987).
5.49 (1991): 28. Print.
Iverson, Donald C, and W J. Popham.
"Combating Aids on the Front Lines." School Administrator.
49.8 (1992): 22. Print.
Keith,
William. Phone interview. 22 Feb. 2013.
Slater, M. "Combating Aids:
Communication Strategies in Action." Journal of Health Communication.
9 (2004): 85-87. Print.
"The
AIDS Epidemic and Sociological Enquiry." American Sociological
Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/apr01/fn18.html.
Annotated Bibliography
Iverson, Donald C, and W
J. Popham. "Combating Aids on the Front Lines." School
Administrator. 49.8 (1992): 22. Print.
What I gathered from the
description of this article is focusing on AIDS in school. There seems to be a
lack of knowledge on the risk of receiving HIV or AIDS. This article is to help
students be more realistic about the spread of AIDS. I feel this will be a
great source for my paper when writing about the AIDS epidemic in Idaho.
Slater, M. "Combating
Aids: Communication Strategies in Action." Journal of Health
Communication. 9 (2004): 85-87. Print.
This is a great article
for my paper. It gives examples of communities coming together to take action
against AIDS. Communities are helping give factual information on this terrible
disease to better knowledge everyone.
"Combating the Spread
of Aids." Nursing Standard (royal College of Nursing (great Britain) : 1987).
5.49 (1991): 28. Print.
I really like this article
for my paper about combating AIDS in Idaho. So many people think that AIDS is
something that “other” people get, when reality is anyone can contract AIDS if
they come in contact with it. People need to be more attentive on what causes
the spread of AIDS.
"Combating the Aids
Epidemic." Inpharma Weekly. (2001): 3. Print.
AIDS all around is just so
terrible. I like this article for the majority of my papers I will have to
write. The article gives great quotes and information about AIDS around the
world and not just in the United States.
"AIDS in
Idaho." AIDS in Idaho. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.
<http://Healthandwelfare.idaho.gov>.
This is an awesome website. It gives statics and facts on the aids
epidemic in Idaho. It shows the increases and decreaes over the years and it
also shows other great facts on combating AIDS.
"Basic
Statistics | Statistics and Surveillance | Topics | CDC HIV/AIDS." Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm>.
Even
though the title of this doesn’t really grab your attention, it was a great
site. It helped me gather all the statistics about Idahoans living with AIDS as
well as in other states. Another statistic I liked having the stat of
homosexuals living with AIDS as well has heterosexuals.
"Allies
Linked for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS ." Allies Linked for the
Prevention of HIV and AIDS . N.p., 22 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.alphaidaho.org>.
This
was one of my favorite resources because it really pointed out exactly what can
be done as a prevention of AIDS. It gave examples, ideas and other resources to
use. I also like that there is a World AIDS prevention day and other awareness
activities to be done.
(NationMaster)