Today I am honoring two of my brothers and my son, all of whom died from complications of HIV/AIDS.
Yes, the good die young. My brother, Robin, died in 1990 at the age of 39. My brother Michael, who died in 1991, was only 29. My beloved son, John David, passed away in 2002. He was 38.
These men were loved by everyone who knew them. They were the ones who lit up a room when they walked in; the ones to whom others gravitated in a group. They were loving and unselfish, willing to give a helping hand to anyone who needed it. Their deaths left a void in the lives of so many; a void that can never be filled.
HIV was discovered in 1981. There were no treatments. Since then, many new drugs have been discovered to help lengthen and improve the lives of those with HIV. There is still no cure.
My hope today is to encourage those who are at risk to be tested and those who are not to be safe. The following is excerpted from the website of the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For additional information, click
here.
Preventing TransmissionYour risk of getting HIV or passing it to someone else depends on several things.
* Abstain from sex (do not have oral, anal, or vaginal sex) until you are in a relationship with only one person, are having sex with only each other, and each of you knows the other’s HIV status.
* If both you and your partner have HIV, use condoms to prevent other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and possible infection with a different strain of HIV. If only one of you has HIV, use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
* Get tested for HIV
If you are a man who has had sex with other men, get tested at least once a year.
If you are a woman who is planning to get pregnant or who is pregnant, get tested.
*Talk about HIV and other STDs with each partner before you have sex.
-Learn as much as you can about each partner’s past behavior (sex and drug use).
-Ask your partners if they have recently been tested for HIV; encourage those who have
have not been tested to do so.
-Use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
-If you think you may have been exposed to another STD such as gonorrhea, syphilis,
Chlamydia trachomatis infection, get treatment. These diseases can increase your risk of
getting HIV.
* Get vaccinated against hepatitis B virus.
* Even if you think you have low risk for HIV infection, get tested whenever you have a
regular medical check-up.
* Do not inject illicit drugs (drugs not prescribed by your doctor). You can get HIV through
needles, syringes, and other works if they are contaminated with the blood of someone who
has HIV. Drugs also cloud your mind, which may result in riskier sex.
* Do not have sex when you are taking drugs or drinking alcohol because being high can make
you more likely to take risks.
To protect yourself, remember these ABCs:A=Abstinence
B=Be Faithful
C=Condoms
