WebProNews

Tag: aids awareness

  • Charlize Theron Visits ‘Today’ To Spread Awareness On AIDS, Actress Believes Epidemic Can Be Eliminated

    Decades ago, condoms were perceived merely as a method of contraception as opposed to a means to prevent sexually-transmitted disease.

    But for actress Charlize Theron, it’s an important tool that could possibly end AIDS in the coming years.

    Theron visited Today last Monday to raise awareness about AIDS and how we could end it.

    According to Theron, the statistics in Africa shows that girls are eight times more likely to acquire AIDS than boys. ‘When I was growing up (in South Africa) in the late ’80s and early ’90s, an epidemic really hit and we had little information on it,’ Theron revealed.    

    “I remember being a young girl growing up with this petrifying fear because people were dying and nobody knew why,” Theron said. “Today we know why, and it’s completely preventable, and yet more young girls are dying today than 20 years ago and something is wrong with that.”  

    Theron said the reason why the infectious disease is not ending is because people have been complacent and the issue is just being curbed instead of being eliminated completely. Charlize Theron also founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project in 2008, which is an organization that helps African youth keep themselves safe from HIV infection. Charlize Theron said she believes that youth of today should be taught how to prevent the illness instead of seeking immediate care.  

    Theron added that she is aware that her efforts and other organizations are not enough, and that all of us should work on this fight.

    AIDS remains the leading killer among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among all adolescents globally.

    “That should be something we should all be concerned about,” Theron said of how AIDS disproportionately affects women. “That affects me. That affects you. That’s not just an African problem. That’s not just as Asian problem… that’s all of us.”

  • HIV Testing Urged on National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

    Today is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). The Latino Commission of AIDS (LCOA), the Hispanic Federation, and other organizations organize the day to promote HIV testing, provide prevention information, and equip non-profits and health departments to reach out to Latino and Hispanic communities.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week released results from its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showing that the rate of new HIV infections among Hispanics is three times higher than whites, and that there are large regional differences in HIV infection among Latinos.

    In the U.S., Latino gay and bisexual men account for more than 80% of all HIV infections among Latino men. However, rates of HIV infection among Latinas are four times those found in white women.

    Over at the U.S. AIDS blog, Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, discussed the CDC’s findings and highlighted the need for greater awareness in Latino communities. From the blog post:

    There is no single solution to the epidemic among Latinos, and our work must be on all levels, national, state, community, and individual. Together we can begin to tackle the many social obstacles, ensure diversity awareness is part of our response, and work to tailor programs to fit the need. As an individual, start the dialogue, get the test, take the steps necessary to protect your health and the health of those you love. As a community, tackle social obstacles that keep many from seeking testing, care, and treatment. Start taking control today and stop the epidemic in the Latino community!

    Fenton also made a statement on last year’s NLAAD, saying that the homophobia, stigma, and the already high prevalence of HIV in the community are some of the factors that increase Latinos’ risk for HIV infection.

    Last year, NLAAD included a campaign to test New Yorkers passing through subway stations using OraQuick, an oral swab test for HIV that gives results in only minutes. OraQuick was approved this year for over-the-counter sales. A video of last year’s New York subway campaign can be seen below.