World AIDS Day

Did you know that the leading cause of death among black women between the ages of 25 – 44 is AIDS? Did you also know that over half of the over 1 million Americans living with HIV or AIDS are black?

All of this information can be found in a report released in August 2008 by the Black AIDS Institute entitled, “Left Behind—Black America: A Neglected Priority In The Global AIDS Epidemic.” The statistics are staggering and frightening; what can we do to change the course of this disease?

The first and most important thing is education. It is imperative that we equip ourselves with the information necessary to combat this disease. Below are some common misconceptions about HIV and AIDS:

HIV is the same as AIDS

HIV is the acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS is the acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is the collection of of symptoms, diseases, and infections associated with an acquired deficiency of the immune system. HIV is the underlying cause of AIDS; however, not all HIV-positive persons have AIDS and HIV can remain in a latent state for many years.

AIDS can be spread by casual contact with an HIV-positive person

A person cannot become infected with HIV through day-to-day contact in social settings, schools, or in the workplace. A person also cannot be infected by shaking someone’s hand, by hugging or “dry” kissing someone, by using the same toilet or drinking from the same glass as an HIV-infected person, or by being exposed to coughing or sneezing by an infected person. Saliva carries a negligible viral load, so even open-mouthed kissing is considered a low risk. However, if the infected partner or both of the performers have blood in their mouth due to cuts, open sores, or gum disease, the risk is higher. The CDC has only recorded one case of possible HIV transmission through kissing (involving an HIV-infected man with significant gum disease and a sexual partner also with significant gum disease), and the Terence Higgins Trust says that this is essentially a no-risk situation.

HIV cannot be transmitted through oral sex

While it is agreed that oral sex has a much lower HIV-infection risk than vaginal and anal sex, HIV can be transmitted through both insertive and receptive oral sex, when there is contact between semen or vaginal fluid and the mucous membranes of the mouth. The risk of infection from a single encounter is small, but it increases with frequency of activity.

Transmission risk may be elevated in the case of open sores on the genitals and/or mouth, or significant gum disease or bleeding, i.e., when there is direct contact between semen and breaks in the skin or surface of the mouth.

source: Wikipedia: HIV and AIDS Misconceptions

The second thing we can do is protect ourselves. If you are sexually active, use a condom. If your sexual partner protests, then maybe he/she isn’t the one that you should be having sex with. Sex is no longer just “casual”; this is your life we are talking about here.

Get tested and ask your partner to do the same. Be safe and think.

From RED.MSN.com:

On December 1st, World AIDS Day, MSN is celebrating the launch of (RED)WIRE, (RED)’s new digital music magazine designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Some of the greatest artists on earth have contributed amazing songs to (RED)WIRE. Enjoy these world premieres throughout the day and sign up for (RED)WIRE for so much more.

You can sign up by visiting MSN Music…there is music by U2, Jay-Z, Coldplay, and others…including the beautiful rendition of “Redemption Song” sung by John Legend…click the link to take a listen.

Be informed. Be smart. Be careful.