So I've had a lot of time to think the past couple of weeks. After facing the painful loss of someone I loved recently, I've been reflecting a lot about time and about life. The question of the week this week really hit me hard. I realize how precious time is... so I've been thinking a lot about those people who have loved ones who are battle HIV and AIDS on a daily basis. I've been trying to consider what the "battle" is.

With viable treatment options, is the battle all the medications they must remember to take?
Is it affording the ARV drugs?
Is it the doctor's visits?
Is it worrying about what others will think?
Is it the worry that any condition brings that you may miss out seeing a milestone of your child?

I'm sure it's a combination of all those things and more. And this week, I feel a special emotional connection towards those people. I know a lot of my peers have brought up the concept of "quality of life". I think quality of life is defined on an individual basis. Some people think having to take medicines everyday is a diminished quality of life.

I think that a life without those I love is meaningless, but as long as I have them, I would have something to live for. As an extension to my question of the week I realize now that we have to continue improving treatment options. We may be racing to the cure for a long time before we get there... but the better our drugs get, and the more we know about the virus, the lesser the burden on those who are HIV positive. If those drugs allow someone to live a little longer and love a little more of those around them, I think that is a huge blessing. Being HIV positive no longer has to mean a couple of years left to live, it means a lifestyle change, and sacrifice, but thanks to those who have care enough to research the condition, people now have options to prolong their lives many years. It's still a burden, but one that many people are proving can be lived with. I do believe that the stigma, although still very existent, is starting to lift little by little by those who care. People like our professors and those in this class who refuse to be a part of the ignorance are making the difference and I am so proud to be witnessing it. There is still much work to be done. I just can't stress how important love is right now. I know it probably sounds so corny, but love today, love now. It's the best time. Leave nothing unsaid that could lift someone's spirits. Those sentiments and time are priceless.

As for a Did You Know?
http://www.npaihb.org/images/epicenter_docs/aids/2008/Adult%20HIV%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

This is a PDF regarding American Indians and Alaskan Natives. They are not perhaps the demographic that we first think of when we think of HIV. After being in this class, I realize the dangers of stereotypes. This is a call from American Indians and Alaskan natives to their brothers and sisters within their cultures to "Stop the Silence". They even mention how stigma is costing lives. I think a lot can be learned from this. It's a reminder of how global HIV is... it's a threat to everyone. It all goes back to that common theme.

Post #5-The POST! (It plays to be a good citizen.)

So continuing on from my discussion post, I realize how much I continue to grow every day from this class. The accident I described was very much a private thing I didn't share with many people before today. I struggled every since that accident to continue to believe that despite people like that driver that hit me and ran that day, that there are plenty good people in the world, and plenty of good deeds done. What always upset me the most was that that man did not just total my car, a graduation present from my parents who had worked so hard to save and get it for me. He didn't just cost me thousands of dollars in damage that wasn't my fault that I would work a year to make up repair and replace, but he stole away so much more than that. He stole away my sense of security. I felt a heighten sense of risk every time I walked out the door. He stole away my faith in people, and if I couldn't believe in love and people I see all the time, how could I not question my faith in a God I couldn't see? It was a turbulent time in my life. But I have grown so much from it, just as I have this class.

I've learned that there is a risk in everything we do. Every step we take. Every decision we make. Small, large... Anything could happen, at any second. What we do with each breath makes all the difference, or no difference at all.

So would helping a person a bleeding person on the side of the road who could potentially have HIV, who most likely does since they have mumbled something about it be a risk? It would be. Is the risk worth it? I think it's important to self reflect here. What if it were you? There would be no question you'd want someone to help you.

I was looking hard to find a way to relate this back to my focus area of Women and HIV. The degrees of separation, but I find this topic seems human more than either gender. So I go back to, did you know?

Did you know that... turning our heads the other way is a very human trait? May it is more of a flaw. If you guys have ever turned on E! or Oprah, it's nearly impossible that you haven't heard of actor, Tyler Perry. In his blog he describes a run in he has with a homeless woman with AIDS. He describes all the feelings I know are familiar to me, like how he hope she wouldn't approach him, and how he kept expecting her sales pitch for money. It turns out that her family had turn their backs on her and she was delayed placement in a shelter because she had been diagnosed with AIDS.

You can read it here: http://hivaidsandme.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/tyler-perry-reflects-on-helping-a-homeless-woman-with-aids/

It was very touching. Even celebrities feel the way we do, and even a celebrity like Tyler Perry was humbled by the woman in this story. I hope you will check it out. I really moved me.

Also, did you know that there is a organization called "The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS"? It is a wealth of information and provides support to women all over the world, working with other groups as well as the United Nations. They don't just support the cause to protect women and girls but one of their "key principles" is to engage men and boys, it about "uniting the world against AIDS". They have 8 areas of focus they'd like to use for change:

"Preventing HIV infections among women and girls
Reducing violence against women
Protecting property and inheritance rights of women and girls
Ensuring equal access to treatment and care for women
Supporting improved and properly resourced community-based care
Promoting access to new prevention options that women can initiate, including the female condom and microbicides
Supporting ongoing efforts towards universal education for girls
Promoting women’s leadership in global, national and community response to AIDS."

They are absolutely awesome. They tackle all levels of prevention, (primary, secondary and teritary.)

They can be found at: http://womenandaids.unaids.org .

Post #5-(Preface)-It pays to be a good citizen.

So I wanted to just continue with the theme of the question of the week.
Here was my post:

"You can never be to prepared. I get made fun of all the time for having everything in my bag from hand sanitizer, a mini bottle of Lysol, to get this... a CPR Kit! I won it at my CPR certification for helping the instructor take the 3 huge boxes of dummies out to his car in the parking garage 4 miles away from the Union. I also have a full First Aid Kit in the car, and equip with gloves. I would be fully ready for this situation as far as equipment but what about my nerves? I think that would be the biggest barrier here. Would I be mentally ready to handle that situation?

I hope so. Imagining these situations really tests my faith in myself, not only my potential to be a medical professional, but also the strength I possess as a person. I hope and believe that my character would overcome my fear here. About a year or two ago, I was in a bad accident. I was just driving home from work, minding my own business, seatbelt on, paying attention to the road when a car came out of no where... no lights... cut through two lanes of traffic and totaled my car leaving me trapped inside the vehicle. It was the worst possible time to have an asthma attack, which is exactly what I had. I was trapped in the car, gasping for air. The man who hit me came out of the car, tapped on my window, asked me if I was all right, and proceeded to watch me, what looked like to him I'm sure, dying. A wonderful woman came out of her house to ask both of us if we were all right when the man told her to go back into her house right away, as he ran back to his car unscathed and sped away. The police never found him.

She stayed with me until the paramedics came, trying to get me out of the car. She probably saved my life by calling 911. She didn't hesitate for a second although I easily could have had something infectious, I couldn't breathe much less be able to tell her.

There are always potential risks involve with being around any kind of person much less clearly open blood gushing, but could I live with myself ever again if I selfishly walked away from someone who needed help? HIV or not, that would be a heavy weight on your conscience. And that would be the selfish reason why I would help. But I feel such a moral obligation after being helped by someone else that my automatic response always is to help if I can. Unless I had cuts on me the chances of me contracting HIV from her if she was HIV positive would be just that. A chance. A chance I'd be willing to take because I'd hope someone would do the same for me."