"Bug Chasers"!
Who would want to chase a bug?
In the mid 1990's a new trend rose for the Gay community, bug chasing. Men who search for "the gift," HIV.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
AIDS by choice?
I might still have my AIDS packet, an assignment from my middle school science teacher. His effort was to educate students about the deadly disease. I was in my pre-teens and aware of the causes of AIDS, but that didn’t prevent me from being sexually active at the age of 14 or 15.
I grew up in a society where everyone around me was having sex. I recall a friend telling me to date someone so that I could experience oral sex.
“Girl, make him ‘eat you out’,” she said.
AIDS speakers come and go, but friends are always around pressuring and encouraging each other to be sexual active.
In hindsight my actions were stupid and naive, but it was my reality.
I don’t recall anyone telling me to wait until marriage to have sex. I recall the AIDS speeches, educational lessons and my counselor’s friend who was infected with the disease. However, that wasn’t enough to keep me from having sex. I was curious, intrigued and willing.
Did I protect myself? Yes, but there were times that I didn’t.
My partner and I made the CHOICE to have unprotected sex.
Is AIDS contracted by choice?
The Center for Disease Control reports in 2005 a total of 533 teenagers, ages 13-19, were diagnosed with AIDS in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Also, a total of 6,354 teenagers, age 13-19, were diagnosed with AIDS from the beginning of the epidemic through 2005.
In an interview, Janay Hutchinson, 15, shared her knowledge about the disease. She is aware that AIDS kills, African Americans are infected with the disease more than any other race and that there is no cure for the disease. She also said the only way to contract the disease is through unprotected sex and blood contact through an open cut wound.
“I’m scared of getting it,” she said. “I don’t want to die.”
The general population is sacred of getting AIDS and nobody wants to die from it, but is AIDS being ignored? Is it getting the proper attention to keep people educated enough to not contract the disease? Are teens today educated enough about AIDS?
I grew up in a society where everyone around me was having sex. I recall a friend telling me to date someone so that I could experience oral sex.
“Girl, make him ‘eat you out’,” she said.
AIDS speakers come and go, but friends are always around pressuring and encouraging each other to be sexual active.
In hindsight my actions were stupid and naive, but it was my reality.
I don’t recall anyone telling me to wait until marriage to have sex. I recall the AIDS speeches, educational lessons and my counselor’s friend who was infected with the disease. However, that wasn’t enough to keep me from having sex. I was curious, intrigued and willing.
Did I protect myself? Yes, but there were times that I didn’t.
My partner and I made the CHOICE to have unprotected sex.
Is AIDS contracted by choice?
The Center for Disease Control reports in 2005 a total of 533 teenagers, ages 13-19, were diagnosed with AIDS in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Also, a total of 6,354 teenagers, age 13-19, were diagnosed with AIDS from the beginning of the epidemic through 2005.
In an interview, Janay Hutchinson, 15, shared her knowledge about the disease. She is aware that AIDS kills, African Americans are infected with the disease more than any other race and that there is no cure for the disease. She also said the only way to contract the disease is through unprotected sex and blood contact through an open cut wound.
“I’m scared of getting it,” she said. “I don’t want to die.”
The general population is sacred of getting AIDS and nobody wants to die from it, but is AIDS being ignored? Is it getting the proper attention to keep people educated enough to not contract the disease? Are teens today educated enough about AIDS?
The AIDS “scare factor” isn’t present today, said Rowena Johnston, vice president of research for the Foundation for AIDS Research in New York City, in an article written on the eve of AIDS day in 2007. The article, More Young Americans Are Contracting HIV, claims society is no longer exposed to the gruesome images related to the disease once present during the 1980’s and 1990’s. HIV victims are keeping healthy through powerful drugs, according to the article. Powerful drugs keep HIV/AIDS victims looking healthy removing the fragile-prune images of the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Hutchinson said she has sufficient information about AIDS and doesn’t’ think she will ever be infected.
“Before I have a sexual partner I will make sure he will get tested. If he doesn’t decide to get tested there won’t be any sexual activity,” she said.
When she attended middle school she recalled someone hosting an AIDS session at Norland Middle, in Miami, Florida. The speaker, infected with AIDS, was there to provide information to about 300 students.
Hutchinson is a viewer of the Disney channel, VH-1, Nick-at-Nite, CW, My 33 and BET. My 33 and BET are the only channels that have addressed the AIDS topic, said Hutchinson. BET is known for its program “Wrap It Up” which promotes safe sex.
Hutchinson said she would like to see a program that shows: how a person is contracted with AIDS, how that person found out they were infected with the disease and where did they get tested?
Is AIDS being ignored, or did Hutchinson miss a show?
Hutchinson said she has sufficient information about AIDS and doesn’t’ think she will ever be infected.
“Before I have a sexual partner I will make sure he will get tested. If he doesn’t decide to get tested there won’t be any sexual activity,” she said.
When she attended middle school she recalled someone hosting an AIDS session at Norland Middle, in Miami, Florida. The speaker, infected with AIDS, was there to provide information to about 300 students.
Hutchinson is a viewer of the Disney channel, VH-1, Nick-at-Nite, CW, My 33 and BET. My 33 and BET are the only channels that have addressed the AIDS topic, said Hutchinson. BET is known for its program “Wrap It Up” which promotes safe sex.
Hutchinson said she would like to see a program that shows: how a person is contracted with AIDS, how that person found out they were infected with the disease and where did they get tested?
Is AIDS being ignored, or did Hutchinson miss a show?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
