World AIDS Day: High Time to Become Responsible

Today is World AIDS Day and at the same time it is a sad anniversary: twenty-five years ago AIDS was for the first time diagnosed and named in the USA. At that time people erroneously considered AIDS to be a purely gay disease which could not affect "straight" persons especially those who were not drug addicts.

Some people still think so. They naively believe that being heterosexuals they have nothing to fear. This is no more than a myth. AIDS affects anyone irrespective of his sexual orientation and gender.The perception that only gays risk to be infected with HIV prevents effective fight against HIV transmissions. This happens because this misperception gives heterosexuals erroneous sense of security.

AIDS Affects Everyone

According to the statistics only circa 2 percent of HIV positive are gays or men who have ever had sex with a person of the same gender. The number of infected men and women is equal in most countries of the world.

United Nations estimates about 39.5 million people worldwide to be HIV positive. 25 million people have already died of AIDS which has been ranked by an Associated Press story as the most distractive disease in the history of humankind.

The disease is even more horrible than most people think, as there is a great number of those who do not know about the fact they are infected. Just imagine: about 250, 000 of people in the USA are HIV positive and are not aware about this fact, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The situation is considerably complicated by the fact that lots of people are not diagnosed in time. They learn about the fact they have HIV when infection is advanced and infect other people being sure they are completely healthy.

Twenty five years ago those who were diagnosed to have AIDS often became denied by the society. People lost their jobs, friends and even families. Due to education campaigns which explained people that HIV cannot be transmitted through touching or speaking to an HIV positive, attitude towards infected people slightly changed. However, no education campaigns managed to decrease infection rates. So many people still consider AIDS to be someone other's problem!

During all these twenty-five ears scientists try to find a cure for HIV. Though panacea still has not been found, there are medications which if taken correctly keep HIV in check. This treatment, especially if the disease was diagnosed at its early stage, allows many HIV positive to enjoy good quality of life for many years.

Being aware of this fact many people are not as afraid of HIV as those who faced AIDS 25 years ago. But they do not take into account the fact that access to medications, their cost, side affects, difficulties in relationships make life of HIV positive permanent fighting for survival.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that testing for HIV should become a matter of routine health care in hospitals. Thus people who do not know about the fact they are infected will be diagnosed in time. Of course, patients should have the right to refuse testing. However, routine testing will make people more comfortable to undergo this procedure as they will not consider testing for HIV to be necessary only for certain people.

Early diagnosing will certainly contribute to effective fight against transmission of HIV, however it will not decrease infection rate considerably. Everyone must know how to protect himself against HIV and always follow protective measures.

Protect yourself!

Let us remind you what you should do in order to protect yourself against HIV

Avoid casual sex contacts

Limit number of your sex partners

Use condoms with a regular sex partners until you both undergo HIV testing. Keep in mind that condoms should be used for any sexual intercourse, not matter whether it is heterosexual or homosexual. No matter what was it vaginal, oral or anal sex, use condoms

Never share your sex toys with anyone as sex toys transmit infections. If you share sex toys with your partner, use condoms which will protect you against HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

Do not share needles (no matter what purpose you use them for: injections or BDSM session) with anyone.

Be responsible and enjoy happy and healthy sex life!