December 1st is World AIDS Day

This Monday, December 1 is World AIDS Day, I joined Bloggers United as a way of spreading the word that AIDS crisis is unfortunately still with us. This is a very personal issue with me since I have lost so many friends to this disease. Having been around before the advent of AIDS, I saw the crisis come into being and have been a witness to the suffering it has caused to those infected and their family and friends. On the other hand, I know a few who have been able to survive and live a full life in spite of their HIV status. We must remember that getting diagnosed as HIV positive is not a death sentence. The advances in medicine are able to keep people healthy for many years.

The important thing is to get tested and take care of yourself. Unfortunately, this is not an option for many people. In many countries, including here in the United States, many people don’t have access to information and health care. There are so many great organizations trying to close the gap but with the economy the way it is, donations to charitable organizations are becoming scarcer everyday. Donations are only one way to help, volunteering and spreading the word are other ways to help.
In preparing this post, I came across an organization based here in New York called Aid for AIDS . They recycle medicine no longer needed and distribute them to people in Latin America and the Caribbean who can’t afford them. This seemed like a weird concept to me but in the United States medicines can’t be shared and for many people with HIV/AIDS they often have to change medicine leaving medicine unused. Unfortunately with Puerto Rico being part of the U.S. they can’t benefit from this program to deal with their crisis.

The video below explains more about the organization. Please support whatever organization you feel does the work that needs to be done. Let’s not forget others especially during this holiday time.

About AID FOR AIDS from Ian Jopson on Vimeo.