Blogging for America

While this is WORLD AIDS Day I think we need to look at what is happening here in the US. Some things to think about:

Thirty years ago the AIDS pandemic started. Yet, just last year in the US 54,000 people were newly infected with HIV. We need to be doing better at HIV/AIDS prevention.
72% of all the women in the US with AIDS/HIV contract it HIV through heterosexual intercourse with bisexual men or men on the down low or men who are intravenous drug users or men are HIV+ for whatever reason who do not use protection. Latinas and African-American women make up 80% of the HIV/AIDS cases, though they are only 25% of the female population. Marriage does not protect women from HIV/AIDS. We need to be doing better at HIV/AIDS prevention.




Here is President Obama's proclamation for today:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/11/30/presidential-proclamation-world-aids-day?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+aidsgovnews+(AIDS.gov+News+and+Events)

Here is the National HIV/AIDS Strategy:
http://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/policies/national-hiv-aids-strategy/nhas-fact-sheet.pdf
http://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/policies/national-hiv-aids-strategy/

Labels: World Aids Day

Today is the day the world remembers those who have died because of AIDS, and reaches out to those who are HIV+ or persons living with AIDS (PWA) or those who might become infected--which means ALL of us are potential PWAs IF the response to AIDS and HIV remains status quo.

From the CDC website:


"Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Research on the effectiveness of latex condoms in preventing heterosexual transmission is both comprehensive and conclusive. The ability of latex condoms to prevent transmission has been scientifically established in laboratory studies as well as in epidemiologic studies of uninfected persons at very high risk of infection because they were involved in sexual relationships with HIV-infected partners. The most recent meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies of condom effectiveness was published by Weller and Davis in 2004. This analysis refines and updates their previous report published in 1999. The analysis demonstrates that the consistent use of latex condoms provides a high degree of protection against heterosexual transmission of HIV. It should be noted that condom use cannot provide absolute protection against HIV. The surest way to avoid transmission of HIV is to abstain from sexual intercourse or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and you know is uninfected. "

And, for males who have sex with other males (gay men, those on the downlow, married men who tap their feet in toilet stalls of public men's rooms, etc.)--the CDC has the following:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/index.htm

The Dr.JAM word on safe sex; FULL BODY CONDOMS! Saving that using condoms correctly...

How to use a condom:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/604363/how_to_use_a_condom/

How to use a female condom:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735859/how_to_use_female_condom/


Knowing your partner's HIV status, is only knowing it for that day that s/he was tested!



see: www.worldaidscampaign.info/

Labels: CDC, Condoms, World Aids Day