**Heavy topic warning** AIDS Day

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  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    I have a friend who has slept around with probably ten or so people in the last year. We were talking to her one day about it, and someone brought up STDs and she said, "Oh I have an IUD, it's okay." NOT IT'S NOT OKAY.

    So yes, I have to say less awareness. People lack basic knowledge. She is the type of person who intended to be a virgin for her wedding day, so I am guessing she didn't think it applied to her when they taught it in school. Everyone needs to be educated.
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
    Hmmmm more awareness but I agree with other MFPer that it depends on the area of the country...the high schoolers I have worked with have sex like you would NOT believe but but but but can we pass condoms out to them??? NOOOO! Teach them how to use them?? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
    Tonight in my area they had all kinds of places set up for testing but but but but did we advertise??? Oh no to political! WTH?? Too political for what this is the reason why I hesitate with the "are we doing better?" question.
    Also, I still find way to many clients with PCPers who do not provide testing!!!!! They don't want to deal with the after-math if someone is positive! The CDC came out a year or so ago with the directive to prevent folk having to sign a lot of paperwork and other hoopla etc that deters testing.
    I could go on and on...bottom line more PCPers should do more...
  • gunmetalsunrise
    gunmetalsunrise Posts: 131
    I was talking about this with a friend earlier. Definitely less. Not that I'm knocking any other initiative for any other disease. I think it's great there are so many people passionate about fighting life threatening diseases of all kinds that effect us all. However, AIDS was the first disease to have a ribbon for recognition and one of the first to have a day for recognition, and it seems people forget about it. I'm not sure if it's the stigma of supporting the cause or fear of something we can't control. I think there are still a lot of people so uneducated about the disease. So many people joke about it and make it a bad thing. So often we hear things like "he/she probably has AIDS" in an insulting way. No one would ever use cancer in the same manner. My father passed away from AIDS, and I strongly and openly support all initiative to fight the disease, educate the world, and take steps towards and AIDS free generation. We shouldn't be afraid to take a stand :)

    This is kind of where I stand as well. It's turned into a joke for people, as if it's a "thing of the past" and something to be made fun of. It's not. Hell, you can't even give blood if you're a man and you've had sex with another man (doesn't matter if you're gay, or you used protection) before '87 or some crap.
  • Iamfit4life
    Iamfit4life Posts: 3,095 Member
    I have a friend who has slept around with probably ten or so people in the last year. We were talking to her one day about it, and someone brought up STDs and she said, "Oh I have an IUD, it's okay." NOT IT'S NOT OKAY.

    So yes, I have to say less awareness. People lack basic knowledge. She is the type of person who intended to be a virgin for her wedding day, so I am guessing she didn't think it applied to her when they taught it in school. Everyone needs to be educated.
    THis is something that scares me about todays youth, and why it needs to be reiterated time and time again. This is why even if my daughter does go on birth control when she is of age, I'm going to make sure she makes the guy use a condom. And that's horrible to think of. But I remember how scary it was when I was a kid. I need to make sure they are just as educated. Same with my son. Doesn't matter if she says she is on the pill or what have you.
    You don't know where people have been or what they have done.
    IN this world very few people will look out for you, you have to look out for yourself.
  • ZeroTX
    ZeroTX Posts: 179 Member
    I have a friend who has slept around with probably ten or so people in the last year. We were talking to her one day about it, and someone brought up STDs and she said, "Oh I have an IUD, it's okay." NOT IT'S NOT OKAY.

    So yes, I have to say less awareness. People lack basic knowledge. She is the type of person who intended to be a virgin for her wedding day, so I am guessing she didn't think it applied to her when they taught it in school. Everyone needs to be educated.

    That kind of terrifying ignorance is the norm nowadays. I think the paranoia we had in the 80's being gone is a good thing... but we've gone to the other extreme. Young black men look at Magic Johnson as a hero and a role model and hey, it didn't kill him, right? *sigh*
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