Saturday, November 6, 2010

Why is awareness important?

The New York Times published a page one story yesterday about the stigma and health challenges kids growing up with HIV today are still facing. The article emphasizes just how important awareness is- a theme that will be addressed in our speaker event on Dec. 2, with two individuals living with HIV.

Here's an excerpt that shows what's happening right near Boston:

Medication is not the problem for Elizabeth. Eighteen, white, from a wealthy Massachusetts suburb, she has been ostracized and tormented, “ ‘H.I.V. slut’ being yelled across the hallway, anything you can think of,” she said.

Elizabeth did not know she had H.I.V. until the age of 14, when her parents and physician appeared at her therapist’s appointment and told her.

“I couldn’t speak or really breathe,” said Elizabeth, whose mother was infected through a blood transfusion before she was born.

Read the article here.

Dance Marathon will be hosting Mark and Terrance, two individuals living with HIV, as they speak about their experiences for World AIDS Day on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in the GSU Conference Auditorium.

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