December 1, 2014, is World AIDS Day. The goal of the observance is to help people become more aware of HIV and current HIV treatments.
Start by taking a quick quiz on HIV. You may be surprised by some of the things you don’t know!
You probably learned that HIV is less frightening than you thought. One of the goals of World AIDS Day is to help people get a more realistic idea of the chances of contracting AIDS and the chances of living with current treatments for HIV.
The antiretroviral drugs now used in the treatment of AIDS can help HIV-positive people live longer and with a better quality of life. They can also help reduce the chances of spreading the disease. Unfortunately, many people who could benefit from these treatments do not get them.
Sometimes this is caused by a lack of access to the medication, but sometimes it is caused by a failure to get testing and treatment.
No one should be so frightened of AIDS that they put off getting tested.
What can you do for World AIDS Day? Get informed by reading the World Health Organization’s Fact Sheet or by talking with your doctor. You can also add the World AIDS Day badge to your social media to help other people become more aware.
