Hi there!
Today is World AIDS Day, so I thought it might be a good idea to update you with some facts and figures regarding this disease.
During my research on this occasion, I found out that about 0,8% of the world population between 15 and 49 years is HIV-infected. That’s nearly 1 in every 100 adults and makes a total of 34.3 million people! Of course, the geographical area that is most affected is Sub-Saharan Africa, where the percentage of infected adults reaches as high as 8,6% (and there are many sick children, too), but AIDS also is a very serious problem in the so called modern, Western world. Worldwide, more than 80% of all adult HIV infections have resulted from heterosexual intercourse, and almost half of the infected adults are women (47%).
I don’t want to scare you with these numbers, I just want to remind you, that AIDS is not something our parents and teachers told us about, and now that we are older we do not have to worry about it anymore.
You probably know what to do in order to protect yourself and others against AIDS. However, let’s recall the basics: Use a new condom every time you have sex, even in a monogamous relationship (you never know what your partner is up to…). Get tested regularly. Know, that the test result indicates your status from about three months ago. If you share your sex toys, clean them thoroughly after every use. In the heat of the moment, remember that a second of ignorance can mean a deadly disease. So far, there is no cure for AIDS.
I want to encourage you to wear the red ribbon – not only today, but every day of your life. And I am not only talking about the physical ribbon you attach to your jacket or purse. I am talking about the mental awareness you should have concerning AIDS.
And trust me condoms can make sex more fun rather than ruining the experience. Just get a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and textures and present them as some kind of a menu to whoever your lover is. He will want to have sex more often to try them all. 😉
Take care,
Nomi Tang
Nomi Tang 