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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
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/
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/
Monday, November 9, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, November 2, 2009
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.
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.
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