World AIDS DAY

[Starchild]

today.My apologies for not getting this up sooner.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are 38 million adults and 2.3 million children living with HIV, and during 2005 some 4.9 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, education and fighting prejudice. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.


Why is AIDS Education Important for Young People?
The epidemic of HIV has been steadily spreading for the past two decades, and now affects very country in the world. Each year, more people die, and the number of people living with HIV continues to rise â?? in spite of the fact that we have developed many proven HIV prevention methods. We now know much more about how the virus is transmitted that we did in the early days of the epidemic, and we know much more about how we can prevent itâ??s being transmitted. One of the key means of HIV prevention is education â?? teaching people about HIV : what it is, what it does, and how people can protect themselves. Over half of the worldâ??s population is now under 25 years old, and they are both the age group most threatened by AIDS â?? and the best hope of combating the epidemic. Education can help to fight HIV, and it must focus on young people.

There are two main reasons that AIDS education for young people is important. The first is to prevent them from becoming infected.

Young people are often particularly vulnerable to sexually-transmitted HIV, and to HIV infection as a result of drug-use. Young people (15-24 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide - more than 6,000 become infected with HIV every day 1. More than a third of all people living with HIV or AIDS are under the age of 25, and almost two-thirds of them are women. In many parts of the world, young people in this age-group are at particularly high risk of HIV infection from unprotected sex, sex between men and IV drug-use because of the very high prevalence rates often found amongst people who engage in these behaviours. Young people are also often especially vulnerable to exploitation that may increase their susceptibility to infection. Even if they are not currently engaging in risk behaviours, as they become older, young people may soon be exposed to situations that put them at risk. Indeed, globally, most young people become sexually active in their teens. The fact that they are â?? or soon will be â?? at risk of HIV infection makes young people a crucial target for AIDS education.

The second reason that AIDS education for young people is important is that education can reduce stigma and discrimination. People who are infected with HIV around the world often suffer terribly from stigma, in that people who are HIV+ are somehow thought to be â??dirtyâ??, or to have â??brought it on themselvesâ?? by â??immoral practisesâ??. They often experience discrimination in terms of housing, medical care, and employment. These experiences, aside from being extremely distressing for HIV+ people, can also have the effect of making people reluctant to be tested for HIV, in case they are found to be HIV+. Stigma and discrimination often starts early â?? as name-calling amongst children. AIDS education can help to prevent this, halting stigma and discrimination before they have an opportunity to grow.


Here is the link if you would like more..

http://www.avert.org/aidsyoun.htm

Starchild Reviewed by Starchild on 12-02-2005. World AIDS DAY today.My apologies for not getting this up sooner. According to UNAIDS estimates, there are 38 million adults and 2.3 million children living with HIV, and during 2005 some 4.9 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around Rating: 5

[UpInSmoke]

I agree. I have a friend that just lost his virginity to a girl with AIDS. blows your mind.

[BlackLabelXmas]

I don't really feel like reading that, even though It's something I would normally at least glance at something like that. All I know is AIDS is bad.

[Starchild]

Well the world needs to be aware of what is going on..good or bane..

[friendowl]

ive never met a responsible aids victim.unprotected sex,mutiple sex partners.sharing needles,craving a high so much at the time you could care less about aids.this is the majority and its hard to feel sorry.sometimes you need to see death before you appreciate life.good luck and becareful.and along those lines in celebration of aids day everyone should go fuck a stranger and then shoot up with them

[Trichome Creator]

There are people who are responsible who do obtain HIV anyways. Like lab people or police handling contaminated blood.

[friendowl]

for those people hell yeah its fucked up.its like a death sentence for something you didnt do.but the others who came to the crossroads and chose wrong well what can i say.