This issue of Positively Aware focuses on HIV, youth and young adults. Now, before you say to yourself, “I’m over 30,” and set us aside to reach for the newspaper or the remote, consider this: over half of all new infections occur in young adults between the ages of 15 and 24.
You may or may not have children of your own, but you probably have friends or a family member with kids. Many of you have nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or godchildren. You may know one of your neighbor’s kids. It’s possible you work with kids or young adults.
One thing is for certain—today’s youth are not getting the message that they may be at risk for HIV. So, it’s up to us to teach the children.
We are often told that we should lead by example, so even if you don’t think you have a relationship or a connection with a younger person who’s at risk, there is probably someone who looks up to you, or whom you have an opportunity to mentor in some fashion, either knowingly or unknowingly. If you’re online chatting with someone, they could be much younger than you, or could even be underage for that matter, you never really know for sure.
I still remember how it was in my youth, even though it’s becoming more and more of a distant memory. The raging hormones, the feeling of invincibility, your curiosity gets piqued, the sexual experimentation, the risk taking, the thrill seeking, drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, the desire to connect with another, and how any combination of the above can, coupled with a momentary lapse in judgment (sans condom), in a single instant, change one’s life forever, leading to a lifetime of pills, nausea, diarrhea, headache, sleeplessness, neuropathy, rash, lipodystrophy, bone mineral density loss, elevated lipids leading to increased risk of heart disease, liver malfunction, and kidney failure, not to mention the fear of rejection, diminished capacity to establish and maintain relationships (both physically and emotionally), loss of libido, cognitive impairment—etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
It’s not pretty.
While living with HIV is possible, it’s certainly not preferable. It’s manageable, but it’s a lot of work. The drugs used to treat HIV are not a cure, and can be highly toxic. Most of them come equipped with a whole host of side effects. You may eventually become resistant to the drugs to the point where you can no longer construct a regimen that’s effective, even if you remember to take your drugs exactly as directed. And nowadays there is a good chance that those newly infected will acquire a strain of HIV that is already resistant to one or more of the drugs currently on the market, giving HIV the upper hand and keeping it one step ahead of the game. And the drugs continue to cost more and more every year and with each new drug, jeopardizing the financial stability of an already crippled healthcare system. At $25,000 a head, and over one million in the U.S. alone, you do the math.
Think for a moment about how it was to be a kid. Think about how it was to have your whole future ahead of you. Then think about having it all taken away from you, or your partner, because you didn’t use a condom, or take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your partner.
If each of us makes a commitment to help spread the word, to get out the message, and possibly help prevent even one new infection, it will make a difference.
So please, I urge you, give a young adult, or someone you know who has kids or has contact with at-risk youth, your copy of this issue. Hey, we’ll even send you a replacement copy, free of charge. Or have them write to us, or e-mail us at tpan@tpan.com and we’ll send them a copy. As many copies as they want. No questions asked.
Spend a day mentoring a young adult, someone you know, someone you care about. Show them what it’s like to live with HIV, if only for a day. Have them spend a day at the clinic with you, or better yet, give them a peek at your medicine chest. Describe for them the side effects you experience. Tell them about the many lost dreams and opportunities, the stigma you may have experienced due to having HIV, or how it feels to lose your friends, your partner, or your looks.
If you’re a young adult, and know someone with HIV, ask them what it’s like living with it. Tell them you need to know, not only because you care about them, but because you want to stay informed and have to learn how to protect yourself and others you care about.
So protect yourself. Get tested. Stay informed, and reach out.
Our children’s lives, and the lives of their children, depend on it. It’s up to us, and the choices we make today will determine the course of the future, for generations to come.
Take care of yourself, and each other.
Jeff Berry
Editor
publications@tpan.com |
