Don’t Believe the Hype
When I was in high school, I was afraid of Russians. I had seen Red Dawn. I knew about the Cold War. I knew that Reagan had warned us, even the joke he told as he was doing a mic check, “My fellow Americans. I’m pleased to announce that I’ve signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
And although I had heard of it, I wasn’t afraid of AIDS. Yes, I knew that there were hundreds of people dying from it. Yes, I knew that it was contagious. But I was neither a homosexual nor a hemophiliac, so I thought I was safe. I do remember wondering what HIV was, and begin perplexed about how it began as a disease. I was taking biology at the time, so understanding the makeup of the disease was fascinating to me. But I didn’t have an opinion about the supposed justness of the disorder. I just thought that the people yelling about it being a gay disease were jerks.
I was certainly more afraid of Russians than I was of AIDS.
Now, 30 years later, I find that I’m not afraid of either Russians or AIDS. I know some lovely Russian people. They have their own economic woes. And, what do you know? They love their children, too. I also know some lovely people with HIV and AIDS. They, too, have their own woes. But AIDS doesn’t have to be a killer anymore. Now you can live with it, rather than die from it. Life with HIV and AIDS is about managing your health.
But wait. Is it true that HIV and AIDS are manageable? Or is that the same hype that we faced with Russia?
It is true that HIV and AIDS are manageable with medication and healthcare. I know people who have been diagnosed with HIV for 20+ years. Praise be. But they have access to medication and healthcare. And they are willing and able to wade through the bureaucracy that (even in this country!) it takes to have good healthcare.
But what about the ones who can’t do that? What about the individuals who don’t have a doctor down the street? What about those for whom the drugs aren’t available, and even if they were, are too expensive? What about the individuals where medical care is available but who have too many other issues to wade through to take a regular regimen of pills each day?
The CDC would have you believe the hype: that HIV and AIDS are under control. But it’s just hype. It’s as important as ever that there be access to medical care, access to drugs, and especially, access to HIV prevention services. It’s important for us to not believe the hype.
You can prevent HIV. Here’s how:
- Use condoms, consistently and correctly, every time you have sex.
- Do not share needles for intravenous drug use.
- Limit the number of sex partners you have.
- Get tested regularly and make sure your partners are tested, too.
You can help others prevent HIV, too. Encourage your local and state governments to provide needle exchange services and condoms through the local health department. Give out condoms on your own! Donate money to the International Women’s Health Coalition and Society for Women and AIDS in Africa-Cameroon (SWAAC). You can be the difference, if only you don’t believe the hype.