According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006), over 1.1 million Americans are currently living with HIV/AIDS, and over 56,000 people are newly infected each year. African-Americans and Hispanics bear a disproportionate burden of the disease, accounting for 49% and 18% of the new infections while making up only 13% and 15% of the total US population.
December 1, 2010, is World AIDS Day
The US AIDS incidence and prevalence is shocking, but it pales in comparison to the global AIDS pandemic. According to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook (2007), there are currently 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, with African countries bearing the greatest disease burden.
Nurses across the world are no strangers to caring for patients with HIV/AIDS. For the most part, we’re also well-versed on protecting ourselves. Here’s a resource and reminder how to help our patients protect themselves.
So what can you do today and beyond to help change the world’s HIV/AIDS burden? Educate yourself, educate your patients, dispel common myths, or join a HIV/AIDS cause such as Grassroot Soccer or World Vision and contribute your awesome nursing expertise and altruism to the people of the world. You could also even test out one of my favorite social-media campaign stories of the year – MTV’s and Foursquare’s GTY (Get Yourself Tested) Campaign, which aims to squash social stigma of HIV testing utilizing geo-location services.
Mikalee Byerman
December 1, 2010 9:38 amGreat stats, and an important mission to be sure.
Thank you for the reminder.
The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife
December 1, 2010 9:46 amYikes, those are some big numbers. Thanks for being an educator on a worthy subject!
dearexgirlfriend
December 1, 2010 10:36 amshort and concise…no need to be too wordy about such a lofty topic. thanks for informing.
Kathryn McCullough
December 1, 2010 11:04 amGreat post–and just a reminder–right now, with cholera and all, we are needing lots more nurses in Haiti, where I blog from! Would you mind sending a few our way?
transplantednorth
December 1, 2010 12:13 pmgreat post. I wrote a post on AIDS in regards to how the musical RENT raised AIDS awareness, and how this next generation of teens is not seeing the urgency in preventing or stopping AIDS.
http://transplantednorth.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/554/
Lakia
December 1, 2010 12:43 pmThank you so much for this informative article. When you look at these statistics it makes it very clear that we have to find a way to stop this epidemic. Thanks!
fighting confusion
December 1, 2010 12:43 pmgood blog for a good cause.the awareness must start with self.
whenquiet
December 1, 2010 2:30 pmAwareness, enlightenment, wisdom….My aunt, a former nurse and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force simply says, “Keep it covered!” That one simple phrase speaks volumes!
evilcyber
December 1, 2010 4:53 pmWhile what you suggest to do may bring along some change, I find it utterly inconceivable that in Africa many people still die of AIDS, because the drugs used to treat it are so expensive and companies are not willing to give any discount or, and I’m suggesting the impossible, give some of them away for free, simply out of the goodness of their hearts.
Evil
http://www.evilcyber.com
Sunflowerdiva
December 1, 2010 5:59 pmWow, big numbers. But a great article. I’m sure there will be a way to stop AIDS.
lastboomerstanding
December 1, 2010 9:52 pmAs a long term survivor of AIDS/HIV (26 years), I am thankful to live in a country where the medications are available, and for an educated medical community that has stepped up to the challenge. It wasn’t always so in the early days. I remember being turned away by a hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts because they did not want to treat anyone who had AIDS, especially if they were gay. I wish young people were taking it more seriously. I would give anything to go back and live a life free of HIV and have all of my dozens of friends back who were not as lucky as I was.
I tell everyone I know about my HIV status. It weeds out the weak and the prejudice, and it decreases the number of people who think they don’t know anyone with HIV/AIDS.
I am thankful to people such as yourself who keep the information flowing.
godskyseyes
December 1, 2010 9:59 pmIllness will never be cured by modern methods. Medicine is driven by pharmeceutical industries spilling out drugs that simply mask presenting symptoms, trading them with others. And if not that the rot is simply chopped off along with a persons body parts, and we foolsihly consider this good medicine. We would be in the dark ages of medicine if it were not for the fact that these facts are perfectly known by our governments and ignored. Any information coming from government sources is unreliable irrelevent of the subject. We are robots believing we are being cared for by the best possible source. Modern medicine is nothing more than a violation of the human body and mind. It is not difficult to end suffering, poverty, malnutrition. It is just not wanted enough by the care providers in government. We can dig holes in the core of the earth and send satellites into space, we can even plan to blow up mars, but we can’t feed our neighbours or offer them a shoulder to lean on instead of an antidepressant.
sayitwithmusic
December 2, 2010 1:24 amGreat reminders, great links.
richannkur
December 2, 2010 3:17 amIt is an effort that everyone should in order to fight with the disease. Thanks for sharing.
auntbethany
December 2, 2010 8:18 amGreat post! Those are some great causes to consider joining, especially during the holiday season. Congrats on FP!
nursetopia
December 2, 2010 8:58 amI am overwhelmed with the response to my post. Thank you so very much for your intriguing comments and discussions!
notesfromrumbleycottage
December 2, 2010 9:05 amCongrats on getting freshly pressed. It bring more awareness to your issue and reminds the rest of us how deadly this disease used to be perceived and can still be.
Ricky Waite
December 3, 2010 7:59 amThought you might find this interesting and useful to your followers. It’s a good source of information for Case Managers and/or nurses working with AIDS service organizations.
http://www.hivcasemanager.com/