What Is World Aids Day?
World Aids Day (WAD) became a yearly event in 1988. World Aids Day is a dedicated day each year for the world to observe and understand about the massive epidemic which has killed millions of people worldwide. As the title suggests this epidemic is known as Aids. But World Aids Day is not just about raising awareness of Aids but also HIV.
A symbol of WAD is the red ribbon and through my journey in Cardiff over the last couple of weeks I have seen more and more people wearing a Red Ribbon and each year since WAD begun there have been different themes ranging from Youth to community commitment. If you want to know more about these themes then click here.
You may ask what is HIV and Aids so here is my sum up on it.
HIV is a virus which attacks the body's immune system (the body's defence system). HIV can be passed from mother to baby, sharing needles and having sex without a condom (only if the other person is HIV positive). There is also no cure for HIV but can be slowed down by medical treatment for the rest of a person’s life.
There are many myths around HIV and these can include catching it from toilet seats and that only gay men can have HIV. All these myths are not true as many heterosexual people live with HIV.
HIV Statistics
- The number of people living with HIV in the UK has trebled in the last 10 years
- More than 90,000 people are living with HIV in the UK
- Over a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed
- About two thirds of people living with HIV are men and a third are women
- Over half of all people living with HIV are aged between 30 and 44, but there are significant numbers both of young people and older people now living with HIV
Aids is where a person has HIV and the attacks from this virus makes the immune system so weak and it no can no longer fight off diseases. This is when the virus becomes Aids. Aids is also incurable but can be slowed down by medical treatment.
AIDS Statistics
- It is estimated that 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide.
- AIDS has killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children but mostly in Africa where medical treatment has a high price.
WAD is all about educating people and raising their awareness about these two incurable diseases which have killed so many and have left thousands of children without parents.
Many people can be living with HIV and may not even realise it so just be safe and access the local C-Card scheme for more info and advice on sexual health.
Don't believe the myths about HIV/AIDS. Show your support and wear a red ribbon.
Info » Health » Sexual Health » Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
