HIV/AIDS

                Sweat drips from your forehead, your knees tremble, your heart skips a beat, the scent of sickness fills the air, your throat burns from the nauseous feeling deep in your stomach, the room is spinning, your thoughts race to your potential future of hospital beds and tears, but then your mind returns to the past and you realize one simple mistake you made cost you your future. The door creaks as the doctor steps into the room, the first word he says is “Sorry” and your heart hits the floor because you know the next words out of his mouth are “You have tested positive for HIV.”I know that no one out there wants to heard those words , but my question to you is do you truly understand what HIV/AIDS is and how to prevent it? Another question is how do you treat people who do have AIDS and do you believe some of the myths about AIDS?

                HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that leads to AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. I know what you are thinking right now; I do not want to read a blog full of medical jargon that makes no sense to me. So I will make it simple. There are two types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2, HIV-2 is mainly in Africa, but HIV-1 is the one you should be concerned with because it causes thousands of deaths a year in the United States. When you have contacted the virus you may have no immediate symptoms, but even though you feel healthy your immune system says different. HIV kills cells called T- cells that are crucial for fighting diseases. As time goes on your immune system has difficultly fighting off simple contagions and a simple flu virus can be deadly. There is currently no cure for AIDS, but there is medication to help prolong life, although even with medication the end result is an early death.

                How HIV is transmitted is what you should really pay attention to because there have been many incorrect ways of transmission spread in society.  The top four ways it is spread is by unprotected sex with a person who has HIV, having multiple sex partners, sharing needles or syringes for drug use, and being born to an infected mother. Some of the ways that it is not spread or the chance is near to none include: receiving blood transfusions because blood is always cleaned and tested, contact between broken skin and fluids from a person with HIV, kissing a person with HIV, air or water, saliva, sweat , or tears, insects, and casual contact. Oh and the one that really makes me laugh is; no you cannot contract HIV from a toilet seat. Also discrimination that only homosexuals have AIDS is completely untrue because heterosexuals have the same risk. 

                Now that you know how it is transmitted; you need to know three important things. GET TESTED, USE PROTECTION, and DO NOT DO DRUGS. You would think these things are very simple to handle and yet we are still spreading HIV. First and foremost, get tested, right now you are a simple needle pinch away from knowing your status. Everyone should be tested before having any kind of relation with another person. It is a confidential test that you can ask your doctor for. Once you know your results ask your partner to do the same. Secondly, you should always use protection whether you are in a homosexual or heterosexual relationship, and by protection I mean latex condoms. And we all know that we should not do drugs right? YES because they ruin your life and if you share needles you are potentially adding HIV to your blood stream. 

                You now know what HIV is, how you can get it, and how to prevent it so now I want you to think of a time when either you or your friends used a person with AIDS as the punch line of a joke. You should know that no one would deliberately ask to get HIV, so do you think that it is funny to have a future that includes pain, suffering, and ultimately having your life cut short? They did not ask for it and neither did the person that gave it to them, yes, their life styles may put them at risk, but every human makes mistakes and they pay for them with their life. Also being a homosexual does not mean you have AIDS stamped on the bottom of your foot, people are just more comfortable pointing the finger at them than saying “I got HIV from my girlfriend.” So I am asking you to stand up and take control of your future and realize what you say in other people’s expense is called Hate. “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” – Harold Wilson

Spread the Word to End the Word

Have you ever stopped to think about the words you use every day, or what tone you associate with certain words? Stop and think. Have you ever used the R-word (retarded or retard)? And in what fashion do you use it? In normal conversation with friends, or when you refer to a person with mental disabilities? The bigger question is how do you think you make people with mental disabilities and the people who support them feel when you use the R-word? The R- word hurts because it is offensive and derogatory.

                The words “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded” were meant to be used specifically in a medical environment. Today the word “retard” or “retarded” is used all over society to degrade and alienate people with mental disabilities. Also, it is now popular to use the word “retard” when referring to people who are acting “dumb” or “stupid” when they do not have intellectual disabilities. The use of these words in a derogatory manner adds to the use of stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities and makes them feel less respected. 

                Think of a time when you have heard someone say “You are so retarded” or “Stop being such a retard.” When used in this way, the R-word can be applied to anyone. Even though it is not directed to a person who is mentally impaired, it is still hurtful. Using this word means you are excluding people with mental disabilities from society. When saying the R-word, what you really mean is that he or she is as stupid as a person with intellectual disabilities. The impression is that the only characteristic of a mentally impaired individual is their stupidity.

                Now think about a time when you have been alienated yourself. Do you remember what it feels like to not be a part of a group? Try having the majority of society discriminate against you because you are different. Think about having the word “Retarded” stamped on your forehead every day for the rest of your life. You would feel lonely, depressed, and hated because “retard” is a word of hate. It is easy to spread hate, but much harder to stand up against it. When you use the R-word think about how you would feel to be labeled in such a manner. There is currently a campaign called Spread the Word to End the Word. The purpose of this campaign is to stop people from using the r-word in a derogatory manner. They now have a website, www.r-word.org, where you can pledge to stop using the r- word and influence others to do the same.

                This movement is very close to my heart, because on May 14th ^th, 2011 my cousin, Sydney, was born with Downs Syndrome. I also grew up with a girl who had Muscle Dystrophy and I have helped special kids ride horses. I never felt like their lives were much different than mine other than their lives were much harder. Sydney will face many challenges in her life, but I do not want a stereotype to be one. I want people to know her as Sydney not the retard in the class. She deserves to enjoy her life as much as anyone else, but I cannot be with her every day to protect her from the harmful slang that people use in her dispense, so that is why I am asking you to stand up for change. Think about what you say before you say it and influence others to stop using the r-word. Pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word, every pledge counts. Normal is boring; different is exciting so why degrade someone who is different? Inspire them. Encourage them. And call them heroes because they face challenges every day. “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” – Dr. Seuss