I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT WE
ARE LOOSING THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS BECAUSE WE CAN’T THINK BEYOND THE
CONDOM.
NOW I CAN GO & ON & ON ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO BUT I THINK
MANY OF YOU ARE TIRED OF ME GETTING ON THAT SOAP BOX, SO I THROW IT OUT TO YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
WE NEED TO DO FOR US TO LOOK BEYOND THE CONDOM AS PROTECTION AGAINST HIV/AIDS?
Condom is personal protection. I think the problem is society looks at HIV as a personal protection issue. It's not. I think we need to change the way society looks at HIV. We are still stuck with this idea that it is a gay disease. Society does not look at HIV as a disease, but as a moral judgement on the victim. The shame, criminal liability and fear stop people from testing regularly.
ReplyDeleteWhat needs to change, society, but for me, I protect myself by using condoms and testing regularly.
You are so right, we need to remove moral stigma that is attached to this disease.
DeleteThere are a multitude of psychosocial issues surrounding HIV and condoms/sex is just one of them (although very important). In order for any prevention efforts to be successful, we all need to think beyond the sexuality aspects. Good topic, my buddy!
ReplyDeleteHow do we begin to bridge the gap?
DeleteIt has to start with the condom, followed by regular testing.
ReplyDeleteWhat is NEVER attended to in campaigns is the choice of the individual... whether we like it or not.
For many men it's the fact that as gays we are EXPECTED to use one. Almost DEMANDED to use one and shamed if we don't.
People abhor restriction. And rather than use well informed and positive campaigns, we shame those who don't use them.
Educators sadly bear the brunt of the responsibility for safe sex fatigue. We shamed, blamed and "tsk'd tsk'd" so often that people tuned out.
Plus - we stopped showing people dying. And people still do. Much less of course thanks to extremely good treatments - but non compliance and the use of other drugs still render people resistant and those sadly die.
I think your right, since people stop dropping out of this world because AIDS @ the drop of a dime we dropped the importance of fighting this killer.
Delete