Thursday, December 01, 2011

Cure for AIDS

It is a great thought - but right now there isn't one. A cure, that is.

So much work that has been done, but so much more to go.

Unlike the image in the title post, I'm down with "Awareness" and "Commemoration".  The word "Celebration" struck me as odd.  Yes, celebrate those who have survived, who have suffered, who live.  My initial take was 'celebrate the disease', which clearly doesn't seem right, and I'm sure isn't, still.......

I have said in previous years posts that I do not believe in "a day".  The folks who run this "day" need to be more in touch with the Susan G. Koman Foundation, maybe take some tips from their marketing department.  My lord, those folks have pink everything when it comes to awareness:  from coffee mugs to  Kitchen Aid mixers to eggs.

Yes - eggs.   See?


AIDS has a walk.  Breast Cancer has runs.  AIDS gets a day.  Breast Cancer gets a month!

A blogger bud, who is HIV+ and runs ironman competitions, says some in the HIV community deems him too healthy and people like him actually hurt their cause. I found that profoundly disturbing that being active and healthy might be perceived to hold back an agenda, be it for potential funding or well......anything.   The goal is to be healthy - for any disease.

Still, the truth of the matter is, HIV and AIDS carries a stigma that doesn't shout, "put the red ribbon symbol on products"  No one is buying food or a mixer that reminds them of tainted blood and/or body fluids.....or IV drug use.  I get it.   There will never be that recognition or the funding that comes with it.  That is the sad reality.

Depends on what report or news story you read, HIV transmissions are down - or up.  AIDS cases are up - or down.  It is hard to get a clear picture of where anyone is in progress.

Testing is more readily available - even at the Washington DC DMV - but 30 years later, still no vaccine, no cure.  To be honest, I'm not expecting a "cure", not in my lifetime.  I expect better prevention, I expect better education, I expect even better drugs and treatments.  Even in three decades, life expectancy for HIV folks, who take care of themselves and are on medication, has gone from months to almost full life expectancy.  That's not completely shabby.

Still there is work to be done.



Song by:  Dan Bern

2 comments:

rebecca said...

In total agreement. Great post. Bang the gong baby!

Ur-spo said...

I agree, there is a lot of work to be done. Pink ribbons and breast cancer have a lot of advantages so it's understandable that they are better organized and better representated.