The Real Cost to STOP the Spread of HIV!
It can only be made into a reality by you!
My name is Jason, I’m a 4th year forensic anthropology major at UCR and I have a plan: a plan to educate, and STOP the spread of HIV!
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), is primarily a sexually transmitted virus that spread globally in the 1980s. It was believed that HIV originated in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo around 1920 when HIV crossed species from chimpanzees to human. HIV can also be spread from other bodily fluids and needles. The virus starts by invading the host immune system and slowly kills off CD4/T Cells which can progress into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) if not treated in time.
Gay and bisexual men “are more severely affected by HIV than any other groups in the United States.” According to recent statistics by AIDS.Gov, in 2013 gay and bisexual men made up 2% of the population of the United States but they are accounted for 55% of people living with HIV. Every 9 1/2 minuets someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV. This is a scary statistic especially for gay and bisexual men. 1 in 6 gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. Young people ages 13 to 24 accounted for more than 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses in 2014. Living as a gay male in a highly populated area just an hour outside of Los Angeles, I’m scared! Am I next?
HIV and the stigma that surrounds it?
A lot of females do not know that HIV can be spread from male to females or even females to females. In the 1980s, the virus was first called the “gay cancer” and then when doctors first discovered it was also infecting females it was then changed to a more scientific name. As fear surrounds the emergence of the HIV epidemic little was known about the virus and false information is still spread till today. In some societies today, HIV is seen as a very shameful virus to get, once infected, people might find it difficult to get help due to the social stigma that surrounds it. The People Living with HIV Stigma Index indicates that roughly one in every eight people living with HIV is being denied health services because of stigma and discrimination. This contributes to the spread of HIV because a person might be too scared to go to the doctors because of the stigma that is attach to the virus. In some parts of Africa, women do not reveal their status because of the patrilineal society they live in. In Botswana, two decades ago virtually no one was infected with the virus by 1995 about a third of the population was infected and today roughly 40 percent of the population is HIV positive. Botswana has the highest HIV-infection rate in the world! How is the virus spreading so fast? John Caldwell an Australian demographer insisted that the virus spread rapidly not because people in Botswana tend to have more sexual partner but “the culture desire for many children, the tradition of polygamy and other aspects of African society.”
How did HIV become a Third-World problem?
Since the HIV epidemic (which started in First World countries) more than 19 million people have died of AIDS, and more than 36 million are currently still infected. Of those 36 million people, 90% lives in a Third World country.
This is an issue that needs to be address by the World Health Organization. Third World countries only have limited access to antiviral treatments, for the infected majority will die within the next five years. Not only is this a Third-World problem it is also a problem in the Global South. The rates of HIV and AIDS diagnoses are higher in the U.S. South. More than one-third of the population infected lives in southern states.
In 2016, Gilead the company that sells two HIV medication drug- Complera and Stribild increase the drug cost by 7% from $2,508 and $3,469 a month. These are two of the most important drug that HIV patients need monthly to lower their viral count. Having access to these drugs are a privilege. A privilege that is only available for First World countries.
Vandana Shiva- “People should see that corporations have abandoned them long ago.”
According to Shiva we live in a corporate world and corporations only want to make as much money as possible. Corporations do not care about how the Third World is suffering they only want to make profit off the sufferings of others. An infected person needs drugs in order to not develop into AIDS. I believe in order to stop the spread of HIV we need to start by educating children from a young age and warn them about the dangers of HIV. Fundings from First World countries should be given to the WHO so Third World countries have access to medication. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) a pill taken once a day can prevent HIV infection by more than 90% should be available for Third World nations. Advocating for action is the first step to stop the spread of HIV. If we educate and protect future generations, WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF HIV!
