World Aids Day 2008

Tomorrow, December 1st, is World Aids Day.

Some facts about AIDS

- There are 33 million people in the world with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), of which 25 million are in Africa and about 2 million are children. Another 15 million children are AIDS orphans who lost parents to AIDS.

- A person is considered to have AIDS when the immune system is too weak to fight off a range of diseases which it can normally cope with.

- One out of three infected people do not know they have HIV.

- Three symptoms occuring together should always be considered a potential indicator of HIV infection: fever, rash, severe sore throat.

- 70% to 90% of those infected with the virus will display symptoms a few days after being infected. Symptoms usually disappear within two or three weeks.

- HIV is transmitted via five bodily fluids: blood, sperm, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal discharge, mother’s milk.

- People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life.

AIDS in real life

Here are some short videos, each less than two minutes, to give you a better perspective on AIDS than I could.

A slightly gruesome look at the sores and skeletal body of an AIDS sufferer:

A plea from a girl who says it only takes one mistake:

A doctor advises how family and friends can help:

A slightly longer 3.5 minute video on research to fight HIV infection:

What you can do

- Buy and wear a red ribbon to show your support

- Donate to an AIDS charity like AVERT or UNICEF

- Educate yourself so you don’t add to the statistics

- Blog, write, or talk about AIDS to raise awareness

CLT 11-22-08 N703UWLeaving on a jet plane…
Creative Commons License photo credit: James Willamor

On a totally separate note, I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be away this week on vacation and will be back posting next Sunday December 7th.

Until then, take your time to watch the videos in this post and browse through some of my older posts, especially the series Dance Like Nobody’s Watching (4 posts) and Think Deeply, Speak Gently (7 posts).

Do leave some comments about what kind of posts you’d like to read. I’m thinking about overhauling this site and am very open to ideas on topics to write about, design elements, or anything really.

Hope you all have a great week and see you next Sunday!

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Posted by Daphne | November 30, 2008 | in Be Kind


8 Responses to “World Aids Day 2008”

  1. Glen Allsopp
    November 30th, 2008 @ 8:10 pm

    Some very informative videos there. I’ve lived in africa for the last year so know how much of a big deal Aids is in this country and being protected.

    In england I would never hear of people being tested but over here myself and friends get checked quite regularly. Best to be on the sfae side!

    Cheers,
    Glen

    Glen Allsopps last blog post..How to Get Someone or Something, Off Your Mind

  2. Daphne
    November 30th, 2008 @ 9:02 pm

    Hi Glen,

    Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment! Which part of Africa are you in? I liked Africa when I visited but then I didn’t have to live there permanently. I’ve also lived in England and that is a much easier place to live than Africa!

    You’re right that it’s best to be safe, especially as there are more people in Africa with AIDS than in the rest of the world put together.

    Daphne

  3. Middle Way
    December 1st, 2008 @ 6:44 am

    Have a Great Holiday Daphne!!!

    Middle Ways last blog post..3 Books

  4. snigdha
    December 1st, 2008 @ 5:47 pm

    Good to get some more information on AIDS ( I somehow could not get to see the videos on my mobile internet … will see when I am back home).
    And have a wonderful and most cherishable vacation – you most certainly have earned it !! We would miss your new posts , though !!

    snigdhas last blog post..I HAVE BEEN TAGGED …

  5. Wei Liang | ABloggerBlog
    December 2nd, 2008 @ 3:41 pm

    Its sad to hear so many people contracting AIDS. Great that you make use of blogging to raise the awareness of this day. Great contribution to the society Daphne.

    Wei Liang

    Wei Liang | ABloggerBlogs last blog post..Did You Retire At The Age Of 21?

  6. Jocelyn
    December 4th, 2008 @ 8:15 am

    Maybe one of the worse sufferings of AIDS victims is the prejudice of being labeled as an outcast by a society that finds it so easy to judge what they don’t understand. I agree with you that one of the ways by which we could help is thru educating people about it, good job posting this article and spreading awareness!

    Jocelyns last blog post..What is Love to a Hyper-Sensitive Person?

  7. Daphne
    December 7th, 2008 @ 5:22 pm

    @ Middle Way, thanks! I had a great holiday. It was at a beach resort… my idea of fun!

    @ Snigdha, hope you had a chance to watch the videos. They are short but I found them impactful and hope you will too. And thanks, I certainly had a good vacation!

    @ Wei Liang, yes it’s sad that with the new treatments available, more people are becoming complacent and taking fewer precautions so AIDS is on the rise. Thanks for your kind words.

    @ Jocelyn, you are right that the hardest part of having AIDs may not be the physical suffering but the social stigma associated with it. Even sadder when a person is an innocent victim and gets labelled by society as a promiscuous person who deserves all the suffering. Thanks for the reminder not to judge what we do not understand – I need to hear that myself sometimes. Good comment.

  8. snigdha
    December 7th, 2008 @ 7:30 pm

    thanks a ton Daphne, could see the videos and they are truly touching . Yeah, it is always the social stigma that is the dreadful of the most dreadful “deseases”, which needs to be cured first.

    snigdhas last blog post..GET A PAIR OF WALKING SHOES

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