Spring Break

With Spring Break a hop, skip and a jump away, we are gearing up to work on the foreclosure project during the break. It promises to be challenging. Some of us are thinking about having a day trip somewhere. Maybe we will buy enough gas to drive somewhere and then buy enough to drive us back! We like to live off the cuff a little bit...just a little bit. Somewhere out there...maybe Boulder...beckons. Today I finished all my classes, until almost April! So while we are on a quasi-break, I will ask you about a topic.

Recently on the news, we may have heard about the Pope saying "You can't resolve it (AIDS) with the distribution of condoms,on the contrary, it increases the problem." And to a degree the Pope makes sense, perhaps the thought comes from western ideals based on education. However, I am not certain if some people are aware of a practice that has been going on in Africa since the first onset of disease within the continent. Often times, through numerous diseases, shamans have told their followers that virgin blood will cleanse them. This has posed numerous issues, which was depicted by a PBS special a few years ago. It's sad because the people affected are not educated and walk deeper into the arms of an all-consuming giant that has become this disease within Africa. However, Africa is not the only nation that has been hit by HIV.

The nation I am from, India, suffers from the spread of HIV as well. Here, it is also because there is no education. Mostly interstate truck drivers and prostitutes transmit the disease. I know we are all familiar with some aspect of HIV/AIDS on the global scale but how does this impact the US or you? Here's how.

On March 16, 2009-this past monday, NBC reported that a shocking 3% of the residents of Washington D.C. are living with HIV/AIDS. According to NBC WIS News 10 "the head of the District's HIV/AIDS office told the Washington Post that every mode of transmission, gay and straight sex along with drug use, are, quote, "all on the rise" and says our rates are "higher than West Africa." http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10012505. It's a huge reason to be concerned.

Here are my questions for you.

1. Do you agree with the Pope or Disagree with the Pope and why?

2. Do you think we should work harder to find a cure for HIV/AIDS? Why?

On a related side note, the monkey, who caused the HIV/AIDS is called the sooty mangabey. I know you want to know that. It is the only know old world primate to have a disease similiar to HIV. However, there are various strains of the virus and it is possible to have multiple strains.

So if you have concerns please be tested. It's free on campus at the health clinic.