Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Think On These Things


It's not weak to value life nor appreciate the time we have on this earth. Aids use to be a disease that no one really talked about. Not out of shame but pure ignorance of it and who could catch it. Over the decades aids has claimed many lives and has become an epidemic that we can't keep up with. It's claiming lives while we are trying to find a cure, it's claiming lives while people are still having unprotected sex, and it's claiming lives because we are still uneducated about it. Aids takes many forms and many never know that they are sick and continue to spread it. For many they don't want the embarrassment of getting tested what if someone sees them? I don't want my parents to know I'm active, and all those other excuses many use not to know their status. It's more then clear that not knowing is the killer and even though they have made advance to prolong lives with HIV and Aids this disease is changing with each strain that is spread. So there is no guarantee that the medicine will work on you. Then what you hope you have enough time for them to find a cure for your type of Aids?

" The U.S. has never logged fewer than 50,000 new infections a year, contrary to prior belief that we leveled out at 40,000 new infections a year in the mid-1990s(Racewire)." Which means that more and more people are getting affected everyday. And the importance of knowing your status is not just the right thing but the safe and responsible way to live. The black community was at 45% of those affected in 2006. however in 1997 we were only at 36% of Aids cases that were reported anyway so it makes me wonder why this number increased? Why we won't get tested, wrap it up before sex and use caution before action? The black community has been hit hard by aids like a knockout punch in the first round and the ref is counting to ten but we can't get up. Young women Aids is the leading cause of our death in ages 25-34 . Do you know what that means we are the ones that reproduce life, we are the bearers of the future and were dying! We are destroying our communities and people because we won't get tested and we won't use caution. We need to educate our youth on safe sex and protecting themselves.

Unwanted pregnancies are high among today's teens and only growing. We have even become so bold that have chosen to ignore this issue. Our youth today not only increasing in sexual activities but they are also being more bold in the choice of sexual activities. Most of these teen lose their virginity before sixteen years of age. The message we are sending them is that this is okay and we will tolerate this negative behavior. Babies having babies and so my question is who is teaching them ? If babies are having babies who is raising them and who is paying for them? I think to myself what are they teaching them and if this increases who will be running the country? We need not to hide from this but teach them about safe sex and the importance of using protection. I would love to say wait until they are married, but that is just wishful thinking. Not to mention a little hypocritical of me. However I waited until I was 23years of age and made sure he used protection. Furthermore I know his status and it was important for me to know it, before hand. This is our generation let's not parish do to lack of knowledge or lack of common sense.
By: Geneva Relf

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