Blog #12

Our question of the week sort of wrapped up our experience in this class. I'm not going to repeat my whole post on the discussion board, but to sum it all up, I feel that I have taken a lot from this class. I have a much better understanding about HIV. I've learned how it works, that it is very common, how people manage having HIV, and that anyone can get it. I have enjoyed this class very much. With a lot of classes, I don't care about what I'm learning. I just barely learn it so I can pass the tests and then I'm so glad to be done with it. With this class, I found that I actually enjoyed learning and I was very interested.

My goal after leaving this class, is to tell other people about HIV. It is something everyone needs to know about so they won't make any decisions that could cost them their life. I think telling people could be as simple as, "Did you know that HIV is the number one killer of black women ages 25-44? I didn't think HIV was that common." or telling them about the HIV class you took in college and what you learned. I will definitely educate any children I have in the future about HIV so that they will grow up knowing the risks and can make safe choices.

Blog #11

This week in our Question of the Week we learned that Florida is the number one ranked state for heterosexual transmission of HIV. I wondered why this is. I thought of a few explanations - 1. Maybe because Florida is a melting pot and so many people live here. 2. Maybe people who have HIV move to Florida to live the rest of their lives in a nice place. 3. Lots of people come here on vacation and they might be dishonest and engage in high-risk sex.
Those are a few of the reasons I thought of, but really I thought that somewhere like California or New York would be the highest. I would never have guessed Florida.

Did You Know:
"Today, about one in four Americans living with HIV are women." (WomensHealth.gov, 2009.) This did not really surprise me. I actually expected a higher percentage. Now I know that there are many more men with HIV than women.

Womenshealth.gov. (2009, March 4). Women & HIV/AIDS. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv/

Blog #10

This week I was talking to a friend about HIV and they told me an urban legend or maybe a true story that I thought was really scary. In the story there was a man who took a girl home and had sex with her. When he woke up in the morning she was gone. He walked into his bathroom and written on the mirror in lipstick was "Welcome to the wonderful world of AIDS." I thought this story was really scary and could really make someone think twice about taking strangers home. But connecting it to our question of the week I think that this is an example where the tracking system could help. If this girl is going around doing this to strangers they could track her down and stop it from happening.

Also, this weekend, I was at a friend's house and he had a gay magazine. I read the magazine and there were ads for HIV medicine through the whole thing. I wondered why there were so many in the gay magazine and you never see any in straight magazines even though HIV is just as common in straight people.

Did you Know:
During 2005, the percentages of the race of people diagnosed with HIV were as follows: 66% black, 17% white, 14% Hispanic, 1% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native. (CDC, 2008.) As we all probably know black women were the highest percentage. I was still surprised to hear that more white people were diagnosed than Hispanic.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008, August 3). HIV/AIDS Among Women. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/resources/factsheets/women.htm.

Blog #9

This week I realized that I am still somewhat hanging on to my previous ideas that HIV is mainly a disease that gay people have. I have some gay friends and I go to the gay club with them sometimes. The last time I went to the club, I met a guy who claimed to be straight. But because I met him in a gay club and he was hanging out with gay guys, I can't help but think that he is probably bisexual. I am very uncomfortable with him and every time we're together I think about getting HIV. Even when I kiss him all I can think about is what if his mouth starts bleeding? And I feel like I could never date this guy because I would never know if he was sleeping with guys behind my back and I could get HIV. But I realize that even with a completely straight guy, they could sleep with a girl behind my back and still give me HIV. I just have much more worries about a gay or bisexual guy even though I know that it is just as risky with a straight guy.

Did You Know: "A woman is significantly more likely than a man to contract HIV infection during vaginal intercourse." (CDC, 2009) I did not know this. I think this is even more incentive for women to be careful.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008, August 3). HIV/AIDS Among Women. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/resources/factsheets/women.htm.

Blog #8

This week I started reading the book "Hot Zone" by Richard Preston. I've only read a little past the first chapter but I can already tell I'm going to like the book. It's right down my alley. I love scary, gory stuff and this book is going to have a lot of it. I don't want to spoil the book since a lot of people are probably going to read it for extra credit but it starts out with a lot of blood and sickness. And on the back cover Stephen King says, "The first chapter of The Hot Zone is one of the most horrifying things I've ever read in my whole life... and then it gets worse. That's what I keep marveling over: it keeps getting worse." Normally I hate reading and I would just choose the other extra credit option which was a movie but this book looked so interesting that I chose the book and I'm really excited about reading it.

Did You Know:
Lesbians very rarely get HIV but it is possible. "In 2003 a 20-year-old African American lesbian from Philadelphia contracted HIV from her female partner. Most likely she was infected from the use of sex toys, "used vigorously enough to cause exchange of blood-tinged body fluids," according to the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. This young woman had no other risk factors: she did not use intravenous drugs, had never had sex with a man, never had a blood transfusion, had no tattoos or piercings and only had sex with her partner for the previous two years." (About.com) I had never really thought about it but it does seem very unlikely that lesbians could get HIV unless they inject drugs because they don't really exchange body fluids. But I think that everyone, no matter what their sexuality, should be very careful about their sexual decisions because something could happen even if you least expect it.

Works Cited:
Preston, R. (1994). Hot Zone. New York: Random House.

About.com. Can Lesbians get HIV or AIDS? Retrieved October 27, 2009, from http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbianhealth/a/LesbianAIDS.htm

Blog #7

I haven't done a whole lot in this class this week because I did some work ahead of time and was already caught up. But I did go back to get my HIV test results which came back negative. I have been thinking a lot about how it would feel to have HIV though. I have a friend who has genital herpes and he was saying how it sucks having to tell girls he gets involved with that he has it. And I have to admit that I used to be physically attracted to him but after finding out that he has herpes I'm not really sexually attracted to him. This is when I first started realizing how it would feel to have an STD.

Even with something like herpes, if I fell in love with the person, I wouldn't mind taking the chance of catching it. But for someone with HIV, no matter how much I felt like I loved them, I would never sleep with them. I feel horrible for people with any kind of STD, but I feel the worst for people with HIV. Pretty much their only hope of having sex is not telling people and using a condom, or sleeping with someone who also has HIV and using a condom. I don't think many people who don't have HIV would willingly have sex with someone who does. And as far as love, most healthy people wouldn't give love a chance with someone that they know is going to die.

Did you Know:
"In the North Carolina study of HIV infection in black women, the participants most commonly reported that that their reasons for risky behavior were financial dependence on male partners, feeling invincible, low self-esteem coupled with the need to feel loved by a male figure, and alcohol and drug use." All of these reasons are bad ones but understandable. Financial independence and alcohol and drug use are the ones that are a little harder to control I think because they don't have to do with your feelings. But feeling invincible and having low self-esteem can be worked on more easily. Just talking to someone or thinking about it can make someone realize that they are not invincible and they do not need a man to feel self-worth.

Works Cited:
CDC. HIV Transmission Among Black Women—North Carolina, 2004. MMWR 2005;54:89–94.

Blog #6

This week I go back to get my HIV test results. I was going to wait until after I got the results to write my blog but it's almost Wednesday and the place didn't call me back yet. Even though I already know that I don't have HIV from my last test, somewhere in the back of my mind I still feel like I might have it somehow. It's not nearly as nerve wracking as the first time though.


For my country I picked Australia. Basically, there is no law saying that a person with HIV must disclose their status to a sexual partner, but they must take every precaution to prevent spreading HIV to that person. Someone can go to prison for 15-20 years for spreading HIV to another person. The laws are a little different in different sections of Australia but that is the basis of it.

Did you know:
From the beginning of the epidemic through 2005, women made up 16% of AIDS deaths. This percentage was actually lower than I expected. I guess it makes sense since in the beginning most of the people who died were gay men but still I expected the percentage to be a little higher.

Works Cited:
People Living with HIV/AIDS. HIV & The Law. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.plwhavictoria.org.au/HIV%20&%20The%20Law/hiv%20&%20the%20law.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008, August 3). HIV/AIDS Among Women. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/resources/factsheets/women.htm.

Blog #5

This week's assignment was to watch the videos about HIV and AIDS. I watched 4 of them, but the one that stuck with me the most was "Silverlake Life." I think what made it so memorable was the fact that it was documented as it was actually happening. Instead of someone telling a story or acting it out, it was real. Plus, it was so graphic it really stuck with me. It actually gave me nightmares. I dreamed that I was dying and I was just going to as somebody said in 1 of the movies "cease to exist." It kind of messed me up for a few days, I had this feeling of like a fear of dying and kind of a feeling of doom. Luckily, I believe in Heaven and I calmed myself down but that movie really got to me. But I'm still glad that I watched it. It wasn't pleasant watching someone die but it really made the issue of HIV and AIDS a more real one.

Did you Know - Well my topic is HIV and women so this isn't specific to my topic but it can relate so I found out about a website called positivepersonals.com which is a dating website for people who have HIV and AIDS. I made an account so I could see what it was like. It's pretty much the same as any other website except people fill out how long they have been positive and information about any other STD's. What is crazy is that I did a search for HIV positive straight people in my area and I found someone who I had been talking to from another dating website. This was someone who I would have never expected to have HIV and he has been positive since 2000. I never met him but I was planning to at one point. I just think it's so crazy how you can judge people and think "oh they could never have HIV" but they can.


Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman. (Producers & Directors.) (1993.) Silverlake Life: The View From Here. [Film.] New Video.

Blog #4

This week I went to get my HIV test for Module 3. I had actually just went for a test on my own before I found out that we had to do it for an assignment so I will talk about that first since it was my very first HIV test. I went into the place (I think it was called Hope & Help) and waited to be called in. A lady called me in, explained how the test works, and asked me some personal questions about my sexual history, if i used drugs, etc. Then she gave me the OraQuick test in which you take a testing stick and rub it between your gums and your lips. Then she puts it into a solution and sends you outside to wait. 20 minutes later, she called me back and informed me that my results were negative. I was actually really nervous while waiting in the waiting room. I thought about all the ways I could have got HIV and what would happen if I did have it. I felt very relieved when I found out my results and it was all over with.

For my second test for the assignment I had to take the OraSure test. For that test, you have to wait 2-3 weeks for your test to be sent to a lab and your results to come back. It was pretty much the same as my other test. I was asked the same questions, given the same information, etc. The only difference in the procedure was that instead of rubbing your gums you just hold the test stick against your cheek. I was not nervous for this test because I already knew what to expect. I will not be nervous about going back to get my results either because I already know from my other test that I do not have HIV. I feel like if I had not taken the first test, I would be worried about it for 2-3 weeks. It would have probably crossed my mind at least a few times every day until I got my results back.

Did you Know -
In 2005, 65% of men who have ever had sex with men also reported sex with women. However, in another study, very small percentages of women who were having sex with MSM (men who have sex with men) reported having a bisexual partner which means most women are unaware that they are having sex with MSM. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009)
I learned about an experiment in my sociology class in which a man pretended to be a restroom attendent on one of the restrooms on the side of the highway. Many men go in those bathrooms to have sex with other men and he would record their license place numbers as they left. Then, he tracked each one of them down and found that most of them either had a girlfriend or a wife and were living seemingly straight lifestyles.
As a woman, if I had a boyfriend or a husband, I would feel secure that they were not having sex with men, but as this study shows, some men have sex with other men secretly. These are things to consider when choosing to have sex without a condom.

Works Cited:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008, August 3). HIV/AIDS Among Women. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/resources/factsheets/women.htm.

Week #3

This week's Question of the Week was a really interesting one. I liked being able to look at other people's opinions and conceptions about HIV and AIDS. One thing that really caught my attention when I was questioning my family was when I asked them if they would treat someone who had HIV differently than someone who did not. My mom said that even though she knew that you cannot catch HIV from a toilet seat, she would still try not to use the bathroom after them. She was not being ignorant, she knew you could not catch it that way, it was just something that would make her feel more comfortable. This really made me think about the views some people have about people with HIV. They look at them as people who are infected almost as if they have a plague and people that they should avoid. When watching one of the videos for assignment 4, I remember a part about a joke Eddie Murphy told. "It petrifies me 'cos girls be hanging out with [gay men]. One night they could be in the club having fun with their gay friend, give them a little kiss. And go home with AIDS on their lips !" (Gowers 1983). I'm not sure if Eddie Murphy actually knew that you cannot catch AIDS this way, but either way I think the joke was extremely distasteful. I can understand why the gay community was outraged at this joke. It is not fair to treat people with HIV or AIDS as if you can't come in contact with them, and it hurts peoples' feelings.

Did You Know - that in the USA, heterosexual transmission accounts for 72% of female HIV infections. (Avert, 2009) I think this is why it is so important to educate people about HIV and AIDS. I am still in shock that we are taught so little about HIV and AIDS in school and in the media. I mean, sure, I've heard about it, I know how you can get it but I had no idea how common it was. Also, I didn't really know much about what it was like for someone to be sick with HIV, I have never seen any examples or stories. It wasn't really something that ever entered my mind when making decisions. If I had taken this class, or been given a little bit of education similar to this in school, I think I would have taken the risk much more seriously.

Avert. (2009, September 18). Women, HIV and AIDS. Retrieved September 21, 2009, from http://www.avert.org/women-hiv-aids.htm.

Gowers, B. (Producer). 1983. Delirious. [Film]. Entertainment Studio.

Week 2

For my topic I picked HIV and women. This is a subject of interest to me because I am a woman so I would like to learn about other women who have been diagnosed with HIV. The first thing I looked up on the internet was white women and HIV. Since most cases of HIV in women are among blacks and hispanics, white women are often overlooked. Terri L. Wilder says in her article The Hidden Epidemic: White Women and HIV, "I just finished pulling up the May 2001 NIH Fact Sheet labeled "HIV Infection in Women" and it does not even mention white or Caucasian women." (2001) In the article, she also talks about how nobody believes her when she tells them she has HIV and how even though she went to the doctor often she had never been suggested an HIV test. Every time she ever took one it was because she asked for it. I found this to be true when my doctor thought I had oral thrush. She never suggested I be tested for HIV, she just assumed that I might have diabetes. I don't know if this was just to keep me from being worried, but you would think that since oral thrush is an HIV related illness, the doctor would suggest being tested for it.

For my organization outside of the state I found AIDSAlabama, an AIDS organization located in Birmingham, Alabama. They do things like give free HIV testing, provide housing for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, and prevention education programs. One of the interesting things I found on their website was the "BratMobile", a large motorhome which they use to drive around and give out free HIV tests.

Works Cited:
Wilder, Terri L. The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource. (2001, September). The Hidden Epidemic: White Women and HIV. Retrieved September 14, 2009, fromhttp://www.thebody.com/content/art32215.html.

Week 1

Hi, my name is Holly. I'm 20 years old and in my junior year of college, going to school for social work. For my topic about HIV that I'm interested in I picked oral thrush. The reason I'm interested in this topic is because I found out about it when a doctor told me that she thought I had it. She had kind of a worried tone to her voice when she told me and said that it was no big deal but they needed to take some blood and test me for diabetes. She said that there was no real reason why a healthy, young person who wasn't on antibiotics should have thrush. I wasn't too worried about anything but when I got home I looked up oral thrush on the internet just to see what it was all about. Pretty much every website I went to said something about HIV and AIDS so I got really worried. The doctor had referred me to the throat specialist so I went there and it turned out that I did not have oral thrush but the scare of thinking that I could have HIV definitely made me decide to be more careful and not take any more chances of getting HIV. This experience was really my first introduction into sicknesses that might indicate HIV or go along with it. It was also the thing that really caused me to think more about HIV and fueled my interest in it.

So when I did my first assignment on oral thrush I already knew a lot about it. Thankfully, since I did not have oral thrush, I had never experienced the dryness and difficulty of eating the crackers and drinking the water with cotton in my mouth. I thought it was a good activity that helped us understand oral thrush and how it would feel to have it.