Does Anyone Care about HIV/AIDS
I was surprised to read in the December Jet Magazine that around 50% of all deaths in South Africa are AIDS related. That’s more than people killed in road accidents and more than the amount of people murdered per day!
Until recently I hardly knew anyone who died under the age of 70, much less of AIDS. It shouldn’t really be so surprising that people are still contracting the HIV virus though.
Living in middle class suburban Cape Town and having dated similarly urbanised men, I have yet to come across any that brought up using any sort of protection to prevent STI’s, much less HIV/AIDS or pregnancy – advertising campaigns be damned!
Of course I speak up, because I have no intention of putting my health and life willingly into someone else’s hands.
So yesterday on AIDS Awareness Day people lit candles, wore red ribbons and were encouraged to get tested. Project Masikhule was rolled out where 1million SMSes per month are to be sent through the Please Call Me (PCM) system.
How are awareness programmes supposed to work when people who know better do not do anything to prevent themselves or partners from contracting the HIV virus?
Despite having had an AIDS dissident president, how many South Africans have not heard that having unprotected sex could lead to HIV which could lead to AIDS and ultimately death if not treated?
Perhaps those are the people who should be receiving PCMs with information on finding clinics at the AIDS hotline (0800012322).
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