“FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT”DM REPORTS – WORLD AIDS DAY SPECIAL
WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER
The first day in December means a few things to people, for some it’s the start of advent, for more devote religious believers, it’s a day of feasting, in Portugal, Romania & Thailand it’s a national holiday, while for the historians in you, back on this day in 1990, French & British workers on the channel tunnel met 40 metres beneath the seabed, then as far back as 1919, the first female member of parliament took her seat in the house of commons. Then there were & are people that celebrate their birthdays, for instance Marie Taussaud was born on this day back in 1761 and more famous people celebrating their birthdays on 1/12 include Woody Allen & the fabulous Bette Midler, the word celebrating being the byword here, However, as momentous these occasions are for some, there is a much more overriding & important meaning to the 335th day of the year for many.
December 1st marks World AIDS Day (WAD), a very poignant day for us amongst many, all who have been touched either by AIDS, HIV or related issues and particularly in the scene within which we find ourselves, many can recall a friend, a colleague or a figurehead that has been lost to this dreadful disease. Yet, whilst there remains a great deal of ignorance towards HIV & AIDS, there is no doubt that today is a day that has married minds, spirits & souls across society and right across the world, many showing their support & respect simply by wearing a red ribbon, other going to extra effort to raise money to help to, as we have put it,
“Fight The Good Fight”. Indeed, in the twenty nine years that the world has been gripped by HIV & AIDS, millions of pounds have been raised by thousands of organisations worldwide & by even more individuals, although this pales in comparison with the billions that have been poured into medical science in search of a cure for AIDS and for treatment of HIV.
Yet, as advanced the treatment has become & as the understanding of both HIV & AIDS awareness has grown, there still remains much ignorance surrounding both conditions, many jumping to the wrong conclusion as to which is what, and many have no idea what either HIV or AIDS stand for, or indeed just how colossal are the numbers involved on all fronts. So, not only is this special post designed to attempt to educate a little, but to also paint a picture of the scale of this epidemic, and an epidemic it is, with over 33.4 million people registered as living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2008, a staggering 25 million plus people having died from AIDS (or related illnesses) since 1981, with over 2.7 million new cases of people infected with HIV in 2008 alone, remembering that these statistics are based on those people that have come forward for treatment or have had the courage to be tested. But the horrific stats go on, as it is recorded that in developing & transitional countries, 9.5 million people are in immediate need of life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs, yet of these only 4 million are being treated and in 2009 alone, 1.8 million people died of illnesses related directly to AIDS.
Now, that kind of puts into perspective the gravity of the situation, the UK not painting much of a pretty picture either, as around 83,000 people were living with HIV by the end of 2008, of whom organisations estimate that 27% were unaware of their infection. Yet, when you consider that 111.932 cases were reported by the end of June this year, as shocking this figure is, there is a glimmer of hope that people are beginning to wake up to the need to be tested and are not afraid of coming forward. Indeed, globally, the statistical trends indicate that the overall growth of the epidemic has stabilised in recent years, moreover the annual number of new HIV infections has steadily declined. However, due to ignorance, lack of understanding and in some cases, scaremongering, there are far more people that are either afraid or unwilling to be tested for HIV, history telling us that such action is not just reckless but life threatening. Indeed, we hear of so many cases where people have suffered hospitalisation before they realise the situation, many falling desperately ill, some too far for recovery, others saved by the incredible strength & effectiveness of the wealth of anti viral treatments that are at our fingertips here in the UK. And, it must be remembered that we are so much more fortunate in this country than many others, particularly in Africa, who simply do not have or cannot afford access to this expensive yet vital treatment.
So, let’s just take a little time to look at what is HIV and what AIDS is, plus run down a tiny segment of the extensive historical data on the subject, to further put in perspective why today, 1st December, is such an important day in the calendar of life. First & foremost, there remains a dreadful misconception between HIV & AIDS, the two terms often being mixed up & AIDS particularly, used out of context in relation to certain issues. So let’s make the distinction here & now, as HIV is the virus which many of us live with, in the main, perfectly healthily, thanks to the marvellous medication, HIV standing for “human immunodeficiency virus”, so called by Dr Gallo who was one of many eminent scientists both in the USA & France that were locked in the race to identify the cause of the virus, identified in 1982, while HIV as a standalone term did not exist until 1986. Here, we have to stress that HIV relates to the virus & the virus alone. But with this mysterious, at the time called disease, spreading across the globe, health organisations were under incredible pressure to recognise the epidemic, the term “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” being adopted, also in 1982, both by these organisations & in the wider press & media, AIDS being a description for the condition that can develop if HIV is not treated.
Looking further into the history, in terms of the origins of HIV & AIDS, whilst we do not know for certain where they originated, it is generally accepted that the source can be traced back to Africa, some say its existence being further back in time to the first recognised case in 1981 . What’s more, whilst we now know that HIV is carried through the blood stream, contraction of the virus in gender groups was pretty much stigmatised in the early 1980’s, many, in the USA particularly, labelling it sadistically as
“the gay disease”, others referring to it as
“gay phenomena” or
“gay cancer”, (just look at the amazing yet moving film “And The Band Played On” to see just how society reacted at the time) although it was soon established that HIV was not gender specific, indeed statistics show that of all the people living with HIV & AIDS today, an estimated 52% of cases reported by the end of 2009 have been in women. However, much more scientific research was required to truly identify the nature of HIV & AIDS, the fruits of some many people’s labour eventually leading to pioneering drugs to combat the effects that HIV had on people and to prevent the progression of AIDS , this being the most fundamental & important distinction between the two. Plus, it is important to remember, that AIDS is a description of the symptoms caused by HIV and may not necessarily be the cause of death.
With all those sobering yet morbid facts spelt out, the overridingly important message is of awareness and the importance of being aware. Such is the extent of medical science with HIV & AIDS circles, that advancements are being made year on year and the incredible news is that there are perfectly palatable forms of medication, termed as antiretroviral drugs (combination therapies) that mean, even if infected with HIV, the treatment process means that, when on stable treatment, the life expectancy is just as lengthy as those not infected by the virus. So, there should be no need for fear & no need for ignorance and we cannot stress strongly enough, if you feel you are at risk of infection or contraction, then get tested. For those that have, yes, the experience can be traumatic, but for people that were diagnosed back in the 80’s/90’s, when we knew a fraction of what we do today, it was far more fearful then than it should ever be now. Remember, as devastating the news may be that you are HIV positive, the very positive news is that it can be treated and treated effectively.
But, regardless of all of this, we continue to recognise that people make choices in their lives, some taking risks, others not realising the extent of those risks, moreover through the practice of unprotected sex, this being a particularly prominent issue among gay men, some saying to engage in so called “unsafe sex” (what does “unsafe” actually mean?) is like playing Russian roulette, while others do not see it so. It is also important to realise that consent is crucial in this sensitive yet controversial issue surrounding sex, and each situation has its own individuality. And this choice & individuality is no better displayed than in the superb article “Interview With A Barebacker”, issued by our friends SeenQueen, (at direct link
http://seenqueen.com/web/2010/11/interview-with-a-barebacker/), the article, while pretty graphic, does demonstrate some of the lack in education & awareness surrounding the contraction of HIV among men having unprotected sex. Now, whist we take on face value recent exciting news of a breakthrough in the prevention of contracting HIV, (see SQ’s article at
http://seenqueen.com/web/2010/11/a-pill-a-day-keeps-the-hiv-away/), it must be acknowledged that medical science is still a long way off from finding a cure for HIV & AIDS, and as a consequence, we need to continue to support all those organisations that are either involved in this quest or who provide vital support to those living with both the virus that is HIV and the consequence that can be AIDS.
Therefore, our so called
“Fight The Good Fight” goes on and each & every first day in December, the focus swings firmly onto all the issues we have raised in this article, which, incidentally has been one of our most moving pieces of work yet. So, today has, like all the previous first days in December since AIDS first become prominent back in 1981, incredible meaning and, with this year’s theme being “Universal Access & Human Rights”, we are comforted in the fact that awareness of this disease, as the theme suggests, is universal. Indeed countless numbers of organisations around the world are engaged in active support of, not just WAD, but day to day support of the millions affected by HIV & AIDS, so need your support to continue their amazing work. To single out any particular organisation would be unfair, as there are so many, not just here in the UK, but worldwide and like the choices we make in our lives, we also choose who, when & how to support the causes that mean so much to us. However, elements of this article would not have been possible without the existence of international HIV & AIDS charity, Avert’s amazing website (
http://avert.org/), a charity that was launched back in 1986 and has since gone on to provide support to millions of people both affected with HIV & AIDS and not, their site providing an invaluable tool covering, most comprehensively a range of subjects connected with these conditions, so is well worth a visit.
We now donate to Avert and cannot recommend them enough, although there are many ways you can show you support to either organisations or simply to WAD. The easiest is by wearing a red ribbon & making a contribution to its provider, but, like us, you can also consider making either a one-off or regular donations to a charity of your choice. But moreover, for those that will be out on the capital’s scene, both tonight & this weekend, you can show your support by helping those clubs & bars who are making their own donations to their nominated charities, simply by letting your feet do the supporting & turning up to their WAD inspired events. So, go check out
http://seenqueen.com/ for a selection of events coming up this weekend, pick up a copy of the popular press, or check out the events pages of your favourite social networking site and make that difference. And, failing all those, watch out for our special “Best Bites” post looking at events this weekend plus why not do something tonight, our top two suggestions covered in our post “World AIDS Day Charity Fundraiser Special” at direct link
http://discomattweekend.blogspot.com/2010/11/world-aids-day-special-charity.html.
So, as we conclude our very personal & individual look at the issues of HIV & AIDS, we hope to have, at least, educated a little & increased the profile of these issues a little, with the aim of focussing the mind, if only for this one special day in our calendar. And if the best we have achieved is to increase awareness, then our job is done, but if this article has inspired you to make a difference in the fight against HIV & AIDS, then we take incredible heart from that. So, the time is now & today is the day to make that difference, yes to reflect on lives lost, but also to look forward, to celebrate rather than commemorate, in the knowledge that if we stand together we can
“Fight The Good Fight”. (DISCO MATT)
