Get involved: World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day, a day to “act aware” of HIV and AIDS and get involved in the many efforts that are underway to raise money, raise awareness, and learn the latest information on protecting yourself and others.
There are a lot of community events going on in Atlanta – which is a great way to meet new people, by the way (just sayin‘):
A portion of the AIDS quilt will be on display in Atlanta, with thousands of panels being displayed at Emory’s McDonough Field from 10:30 – 4:00.
Atlanta City Hall will hold a candlelight vigil at 5:00 pm; “Mayor Kasim Reed is partnering with (RED)™ to show his support in the fight to help eliminate AIDS by turning Atlanta City Hall and other buildings around the city (RED)™ ”
Most importantly, it’s a great day to get tested. It’s all about education and prevention and supporting those who are living with HIV and AIDS. How do you plan to get involved?
Obviously, single people have to consider HIV and AIDS if they decide to become intimate with partners. It can become an awkward conversation for some, but it’s better to grin and bear it so that you can get the information you need to safeguard yourself.
Really scary fact: Recent CDC reports puts Georgia and the south as regions/areas with higher numbers of new HIV diagnoses. The silver lining is that more people are getting tested.
How do you handle the conversation? Who brings up protection options? When do you ask about testing? Would you be willing to go get tested with your date to establish trust?
Wise Diva, Misadventures in Atlanta Blog
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148 comments Add your comment
czBrat
December 1st, 2010
8:22 am
gm all!
great socially conscious topic, WD. the conversation should be had early, since it probably won’t take long for the two of you to decide that there is at least the possibility of things getting physical at some point.
today is also Slap a Hater Day, so get out and enjoy that too.
Rell - Happy Player's Day
December 1st, 2010
9:14 am
AID?…yeah.but the block is about to be HELL..folks bennies about to run out..watch out!!!
DreamsMaterialize
December 1st, 2010
9:15 am
Morning
Cold out there!
Get tested, be safe.
Love to all the blog ladies…just wanted to say that.
Another long one ahead so ya’ll be good.
blue©
December 1st, 2010
9:28 am
Morning People,
im with you cz, have the convo early!! and dont be afraid to have it, if they start giving you the side eye cause you want to discuss it, move on!
we lost my uncle this way, being afraid of the talk. had at least an ex of hers come to my uncle privatley, saying he’d got HIV from her, that she never informed him she had it. he claimed she had HIV, knew it, but didnt admit it till he was sick, then she moved on. he wanted him to have the chance to protect himself. for awhile he ignored it, and after the second ex came to him, he finally asked, and she gave the side eye “what are you trying to say, what you dont trust me” yada yada. wasnt long after that he got sick, and tested positive. she denied it for awhile, till he became so sick that i assume her conscience finally got to her. she did have it, knew it all along, and just figured it was her business to tell or not. within two years he was in the hospital for the last time, and passed shortly after. i dont think he was quite 40. and sure enough, old girl showed at the funeral, still with the attitude that its her business to disclose or not.
here we are, must be 10 years later now, and she’s still healthy, which says to me she was tested early enough to get the health care she needed to be there for her kids as they grew up. had he been willing to have the convo, to press it when she became difficult, or to just leave when she wouldnt discuss it, maybe he would be too….
Delight23
December 1st, 2010
9:35 am
Bom dia peoples!! ‘K I’m gonna get a little redundant here:
How do you handle the conversation? LIKE AN ADULT AND EARLY
Who brings up protection options? I WILL AND WOULD HOPE HE DOES TOO (IM A DOUBLE LATCH GIRL)
When do you ask about testing? AS SOON AS I DETERMINE SEXUAL CHEMISTRY EXISTS
Would you be willing to go get tested with your date to establish trust? ABSOLUTELY; NEVER DONE IT TOGEHTR BUT PICKED-UP & OPENED RESULTS TOGETHER
Delight23
December 1st, 2010
9:36 am
sorry about caps, still haven’t mastered html codes
Delight23
December 1st, 2010
9:37 am
Right back at cha’ Dreams.
Sassy Me...Nicety :-)
December 1st, 2010
9:40 am
yeah.but the block is about to be HELL..folks bennies about to run out..
That’s some sad stuff right there….and right before Christmas…
On topic: I say know your status and don’t put yourself in jeopardy…get tested.
abc
December 1st, 2010
10:08 am
Behaviors that cause HIV are best avoided: intravenous drug use and homosexuality are primary causes. That an AIDS pandemic can be created from these behaviors is a shameful commentary on world society. It spreads to innocent people because gay men stay down low, or just plain are irresponsible enough to not know they’re infected,or to innocent babies in-utero.
Certainly, awareness is important. Just as certainly, to me, root causes are to be condemned. It poses a conundrum whereby those who’ve relatively innocently contracted the virus suffer the same stigma of those whose behaviors are the root cause.
While on the one hand I’d say that if I were dating a woman that I felt compelled to request or insist on AIDS testing, I’d probably be dating the wrong woman, to not do so these days is a deathly roll of the dice for a lot of people.
Simple Man!!! Tested, and Tested often!!!!
December 1st, 2010
10:08 am
Morning peeps… Blue!! Whats good girl?? Followup call came at 11:30!! By then ..it was too late!!!
On topic..this is easy “Love yourself enough to protect yourself!!!”
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
10:09 am
Not many takers yet to the topic….hmmmmmmmm,surprise surprise!
Yeah,wrap it up. I have lost many relatives myself. Some very dear people to me.
Thank God for the improvements in medicine.
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
10:17 am
Wooooowwwww
First, Brat with “haters”….
Second, abc with homosexuality as a cause of HIV. A method of transmission – granted; but a cause….
abc ` come on son
abc
December 1st, 2010
10:26 am
Dan, it’s believed that the virus originated in chimps and monkeys that were hunted for food, and contact with their blood allowed it to somehow jump/cross to humans. The most common way it spreads among humans is homosexual sex, needles, and blood transfusions. Those are just facts.
To me, if one wishes to avoid the risk, they should avoid the people who can be categorized as higher risk themselves. In general, avoid promiscuity, avoid drugs, and pray you don’t have to go to a hospital. Shoot, a staph infection would probably be as likely to kill you as whatever you had to go to the hospital for.
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:33 am
@cz/blue ~ interesting topic indeed. I met a very nice man last week and we may go out this weekend. I will definitely have the talk. We live in a society where this question is a must ask question! You can definitely easily weed people out giving their answer or refusal to answer.
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
10:36 am
Actually, abc, Black heterosexual women are the highest new cases of AIDS; granted *again* in part because of homosexual activity.
But the origins of AIDS is about as widely debated as the origin of the species (of man).
I would expect better of you than to propogate specious myths and bigoted untruths.
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:36 am
given….
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
10:37 am
Abc?
I think ur ‘facts’ are wrong!
Homosexuality may be right in do far as earlier transmissions in the western hemisphere go. Later on it spread to just any other type of sex and mostly heterosexual too.
I know for a fact that Aids transmission in Africa is among mostly heterosexual people coz homosexuality is not as rampant nor legal as it is over here. It’s more to do with customs and traditions as well as education and free flow of information.
I could be wrong tho.
blue©
December 1st, 2010
10:38 am
@cz – Slap A Hater day, hilarious!
@Simple Man – too funny. didnt know there was such a thing as “too late” lmao!
kimmie
December 1st, 2010
10:38 am
Good morning!
Get to know people better before you become intimate, and yes, it is imperitive that you not only get tested but wrap it up. Tests are not going to prevent you from getting it or any other disease. Plus, there is a window between catching it and it actually showing up in the tests, so I’ve heard.
Just another compelling reason to take things a little slower, at least for me it always was.
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
10:38 am
in so far
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:42 am
Note to self: This is Slap a Hater day and must vaseline my hand…Ready, Set, Go……..
Simple Man!!! Tested, and Tested often!!!!
December 1st, 2010
10:43 am
Morning Leggs!!! How are ya lady?
Kym
December 1st, 2010
10:46 am
Good Morning All,
I am popping in to say hello and to agree with Wisey..knowing your status..is the best way to live..while this topic is not sexy it is real and the fact remains that HIV cases are increasing. Also, this morning on the TJMS a young lady told a beautiful story of a interaction with a young man with AIDS..how folks shunned him even going so far as to whip out the Lysol after he walked away for fear that just by contacting him they would become infected. I would ask that everyone learn the truth about HIV and those living with the disease. Knowledge is Power.
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:49 am
Good morning, SimpleM. I am blessed, and I love myself so much protection is front and center.
WEDNESTAVIOUS
December 1st, 2010
10:55 am
I agree with abc about behaviors. IMO, promiscuity is one of the leading flaws in the spread of AIDS. You always hear about “just do you/me”. So, if I’m feeling it and your’e feeling it, “just do us”, even though we have known each other for a couple of days. Even with all the education about AIDS, the rate of increase is alarming in the AA community.
Unfortunately in my generation, baby boomers, the rate has continued to rise. You have cheating husbands and wives and you don’t feel the need to have protection. If you are 50+, you aren’t worry about getting pregnant, so why wrap it up. Nothing can replace common sense and having respect for your own health and the respect for your partner’s health.
i'm swiss™ (but you can call me Mr. Goodnight)
December 1st, 2010
10:56 am
“I love myself so much protection is front and center.”
Ironically, if we all loved ourselves more, we wouldn’t need as much protection.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:56 am
I had worked with a beautiful young man who contracted AIDS in the early 90’s. He was such a nice young man there was no way I would or even thought of treating him differently when I found out the sad news. Every time Mariah’s song “One Sweet Day” comes on I look to the sky and blow a kiss…it was his favorite song by her.
R.I.P. Geraldo!!!
Leggs
December 1st, 2010
10:57 am
@Im swiss ~ you on point!
abc
December 1st, 2010
10:58 am
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005/DSECTION=causes
blue©
December 1st, 2010
11:00 am
ive been reading that there has been some progress made recently in medications that prevent the spread of HIV, even when condoms arent used. sounds good on the surface, but ive got to wonder if the number of people who still dont use protection is so high, with the threat of HIV out there, how do you get them to use the new stuff either?
abc
December 1st, 2010
11:01 am
One needn’t treat victims of AIDS as if they have leprosy or anything like that. It’s typically transmitted by blood, semen, vaginal fluids or fecal matter entering the body. But, root causes of transmission remain the same, and the stigma remains, also. I think it’s a little pointless to deny it.
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
11:02 am
abc – stop
“Belief” in the scientific community is like “trust’ in the dating world.
Often stated and almost never taken at face value.
Hell mayne, gravity is still a ‘theory’.
but thanks for playing
i'm swiss™ (but you can call me Mr. Goodnight)
December 1st, 2010
11:03 am
“…how do you get them to use the new stuff either?”
blue — Well, there is a big difference between taking a pill once a day & throwing a baggie on your junk in the heat of the moment…
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
11:05 am
@blue
that testing is still in its infancy.
It’s reported to be a vaccine of sorts, when taken daily has a 90% efficacy rate. When not taken daily, it’s still at 78%.
The trials are limited, but promising.
Now, it we could get to curing the damned thing.
i'm swiss™ (but you can call me Mr. Goodnight)
December 1st, 2010
11:07 am
“Now, it we could get to curing the damned thing.”
Nothing gets “cured” anymore. Not enough $$ in it.
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
11:12 am
@Swiss
I truly believe the scientific community has not embraced Robitusson (sp?) as much as it should…
Kym
December 1st, 2010
11:13 am
@Swiss..that pill is suppose to average out to 36.00 per day for one pill..the reports I read was about how what 13,000 per year to treat/prevent the HIV virus. I understand the theory about the chimps..but when it comes to HIV..well lets just say I think its man-made and there is a cure sitting in some backwoods lab somewhere.
Simple Man!!! Tested, and Tested often!!!!
December 1st, 2010
11:16 am
“I think its man-made and there is a cure sitting in some backwoods lab somewhere.”
WOW!!! Just Wow…..
Kym
December 1st, 2010
11:17 am
@Simple..what? Biological weapons are real..
Dan - simply...Superior
December 1st, 2010
11:17 am
ehhhh,
there’s something to be said for that.
I mean, there are famous people and political leaders that get into far more “strange” than the average cat – and don’t catch nothing.
i'm swiss™ (but you can call me Mr. Goodnight)
December 1st, 2010
11:18 am
I think I may be onto a new worldwide campaign for a better planet here… Do you realize how many bad decisions could be avoided by simply rubbing one out first…???
[Pre-marriage, man-wh0re swiss in a bar at 3:00am, drunk and h0rny:]
swiss: [To chick sitting alone at the end of the bar] Hey, baby… D@mn, you’re exotic! Do you have a little caucasian in you?
chick: [Giggling] No, why?
swiss: Would you like to?
[Before leaving with exotic chick, swiss heads to the men's room to rub one out, just to be sure. Upon return:]
swiss: Wait a minute… Does… Does this b!tch have an Adam’s apple??? Aw, heyal naw!
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
11:20 am
So even oral sex is in the mix as far as transmission:courtesy abc’s web post!
Daaaamn
Simple Man!!! Tested, and Tested often!!!!
December 1st, 2010
11:22 am
Kym, I respect you views…..But Aids is no more man made than Staph or the common cold….What can possibly be gained by unleashing this kind of terror on the world to spread uncontrolled???
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
11:23 am
no escaping folks,no escape
wait a minute on that blow job!
Kym
December 1st, 2010
11:25 am
@Simple..I am not going to debate my view on this on a public forum..but riddle me this batman..what is the point of nuclear weapons? Atomic Bomb…weapons so powerful that they could blast the earth to bits all of the purpose of what again? Man has unleashed hell on earth because their feelings were hurt..come on man! We are not some peace loving animals.
Kym
December 1st, 2010
11:27 am
Oh by the way..there is a cure for Staph and the common cold too..but I digress..
i'm swiss™ (but you can call me Mr. Goodnight)
December 1st, 2010
11:27 am
“What can possibly be gained by unleashing this kind of terror on the world to spread uncontrolled?”
Money and population control (particularly among poor populations), off the top of my head. Not saying it is man-made, but folks always find a way to profit off of “disasters.”
Melo!!
December 1st, 2010
11:39 am
What can be gained?
remember the evil person who spread anthrax all around DC back then and still hasn’t been found to this day?
folks are evil out there and have weird agendas.
certifiedsinna76
December 1st, 2010
11:40 am
i have the discussion once it looks like he might be sticking around. i just put it out on the table, discuss sexual histories, condom use and last test. i used to get one annually with my lady bits exam, but since i’ve been in a sexually monogamous relationship with a sexually monogamous partner who is also HIV-, i don’t bother.
Simple Man!!! Tested, and Tested often!!!!
December 1st, 2010
11:40 am
Kym…Like I said…I respect your views, but there is no cure for the common cold… Nuclear weapons have the potential to kill hundreds of thousands …AIDS KILLS THAT NUMBER EVERY YEAR! Your comparison is apples and oranges my friend…
Swiss… You over state the profit motive in this case…The greater profit is in sustained medicine like Viagra and Rogain. To my point… Viagra has been on the market for about 12 or so years and has sold more and produced a greater profit than penicillin which has been available since the 20’s as a “miricle cure”….