Young Blood: HIV/AIDS Testing 1,2,3

To think that the world actually comes together on this day, World Aids Day [1] (December 1), every year, to bring attention to AIDS – says a lot about this virus. I remember being taught about the subject at school in Life Skills, bored out of my mind. But now, it’s not something that bores. Having lived in South Africa for most of my life I became very desensitised to it all, always being bombarded with issues around HIV/AIDS. But after stepping out of my bubble, in the recent two weeks I spent in Kenya, meeting HIV/AIDS support groups, listening to their daily struggles and the harsh stigma they face, it’s now really hard for me to ignore this virus. [2]So now, when I overhear a conversation about someone retelling their drunk night out, not  knowing what happened, and waking up next to a stranger, I don’t laugh, I cringe, because one slip-up, one carefree ‘I’m-young-and-single’ night can spell out AIDS.

 

And yes, what I just said above does sound like one of those pummelling adverts we glaze over…

 

I don’t want this to be another article about the scary monster that is coming to get you. I’m angry about this fear factor scaremongering. I’m frustrated that young people can’t be young anymore; that we have to carry this burden around with us, the fact that I have to count myself lucky not to be infected - all of this makes me want to just SCREAM… But then I realise, screaming won’t change anything. We have to roll with the punches, and living in the UK, we should take note how some developing nations have plenty more punches to dodge. Bear in mind, some countries don’t even have free condoms… [3]

 

So, call this what you may - a rant, a bit of a bitch, a motherly talk of concern, but if one person reads and takes some sort of action, I’ll be happy. It’s hard to see how you can make a change to the lives of the 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide, and it’s even harder to hear that you can, because YOU CAN [4]. By simply getting tested, [5] educating yourself [6]about HIV/AIDS and the prevention measures, you’ll not only be changing the lives of the 33.4 million people that are infected, but you’ll be changing the lives of the millions in the world that should not get infected.

 

Words: Yumna Martin

Did you know:

 

- More than 85,000 people are living with HIV in the UK

- Over a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed

- About two thirds of people living with HIV are men and a third are women

- 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide

(For more stats/info click here [8].)

 

Click here [9] to check where to get tested.