I found something interesting about the question of the week. I was with my group of friends and we were all talking about what classes we were taking and I told them about it, they initially gave me dirty looks. They looked out me like I had the plague. These are people I've known for years. They even leaned away from me at first. Then when I told them I was taking it because it would help me in my future career and that I was perfectly fine and healthy they finally start to come around. It blows my mind that even the mere mention of HIV and AIDS people react this way. So I took it a step further... I asked them if they reacted this way towards the fact I was taking the class, how would they react if I had the disease... No one could answer me at first. Once again, need I remind you that I've know these people for years, they are good people. After they thought about it for a good 5 or so minutes, then they gave me a few answers. Some were negative, some were positive, and some were in between. The negative ones said that they would not come around me if I was positive because they didn't want to take the chance of catching it. The positive ones said they would stick around. And the ones in between said that at first they would keep a distance until they got used to the idea then they would come around. Regardless of anyone else, I respect their answers. However the negative people I decided to give them reading material on HIV and AIDS so I will check back with them next week and see if they still feel the same way.
Did You Know?
A short history lesson about AIDS in South Africa:
Today in South Africa, anyone and everyone can contract HIV and AIDS; however, back in the 80's it was more "contained"("History of hiv," 2011) . It all started in 1982, with 2 men, they were homosexual. Because it started with the "gay community", everyone thought it was a "homosexual disease" ("History of hiv," 2011). This type of thinking caused the heterosexual community to ignore the risk factors and the "it can's happen to me" attitude lead the chain reaction of multiple people contracting the disease. This chain reaction started in the 80's and contines to grow today.
Source: History of hiv & aids in south africa. (2011). Retrieved February 7, 2011 from http://www.avert.org/history-aids-south-africa.htm.
Wow!! Friends are supposed to be there for you thick and thin. Do they even know what HIV and AIDS are, and how you can contract this disease? I think it would be a bad idea to play an April fools joke on them. I couldn't view your video, but its very true about HIV and still thought of as a "gay disease."
ReplyDeleteMilinda Degnon
You were okay with the reactions you received from your long time friends? Wow, doesn't even cover my reaction.
ReplyDeleteHow does S. Africa know that HIV started with two homosexual men? Were the chimpanzee killers gay? I doubt they actually know how it got started. They are basing that argument on the fact that it showed up in the gay community first, I suppose. They did the same here in the US, even when they had proof that it was in the heterosexual community at the same time.
Rectal intercourse is a very easy way to spread the virus. Vaginal sex less so. It stands to reason that if you have 100 men infected for every 1 woman, people would think it was a 'gay' disease.
We are a silly people.
Teach, I only said that I respected their answers. I was not okay with what they said. So I decided to give them some reading material because they were in fact uneducated about HIV and AIDS. My plan or idea I should say is to see if they still feel the same after they learn a few things about HIV and AIDS.
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