In honor of Worlds Aids day (which was December 1st)
and those impacted by AIDS, I decided to share some information about the
prevalence and prevention of AIDS. According to Aids United there are an
estimated 1.2 million people in the US with AIDS, and 1 in 7 people who have it
are unaware that they are HIV positive.
Newly affected has remained at about 50,000 each year.
African Americans make up 44% of new HIV infections and 41% of people living
with HIV.
One huge thing that must be done is getting tested. When you
know your status you will be able to get help to manage this syndrome and you
will not unknowingly spread it to others.
- Know your status and that of your partner
- Use condoms
- Don’t inject drugs, if you do use sterile equipment
- Talk to your healthcare provider about PrEP
PrEP is the use of anti-HIV medication by those who do not
have HIV for prevention. Truvada is the first and only drug approved by the FDA
and it has been shown to decrease infection risk by up to 92% when used
consistently. The CDC published guidelines for its use in 2014. It is an option
for heterosexual people, those involved in homosexual sex and injection drug
users. Living with this disease is becoming more manageable, but
prevention is the best option for those who are currently negative for HIV.
Great sources for those looking for more information on this
topic are the CDC, NIH, and organizations that do AIDS outreach etc such as Aids
United listed above.
-XOXO
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