RubberBuzz || Akron Unleashed: One Million Cases, Zero Cured

12.01.2005

One Million Cases, Zero Cured

In the time it takes you to read this post, five people will have died because of HIV/AIDS complications. That's right, every minute five people pass away, that's over eight thousand lives a day, almost three million a year.

Back in June, the Centers for Disease Control reported that there are one million people in the United States living with HIV. That's five times the population of Akron and it's growing every minute. On a global scale, at least forty million people have been infected; that's about four times the population of Ohio. Lots of those are people are children.

There are only four ways to get HIV, I'm sure you've heard them all before, but I'm going to say them again.

Unprotected Sex
Sharing Needles
Blood and Organ Transfusion
From Mother to Child in the Womb or from Breast Milk

Two of these reasons you can do something about. Everyone out there needs to be practicing safe sex. It doesn't just protect you from HIV; there a whole gammet of things for you to contract. If you're an intervenus drug user, use a clean needle. There I've said it. Now it's up to you to follow through.

To get involved locally, contact Violet's Cupboard. The volunteers at Violet's Vupboard have been a huge help to so many right here in Akron since 1989; if you can try helping them.