CANFAR's 30 Days for 30 Years: Day 9

DAY 9

Over the past few years, Canadians’ general knowledge of HIV and AIDS has significantly increased. However, 16 per cent of Canadians still feel afraid of people living with HIV/AIDS!*

How is it that, even when armed with the facts, a large majority of Canadians are still unnecessarily frightened by someone with AIDS? Why does this stigma still exist and what do we need to do to combat these fears?

In case you have any concerns, here are few encouraging facts to point you in the right direction:

• You cannot catch HIV by sharing a drink with or kissing someone who is HIV-positive. There is no recorded evidence of salvia passing HIV;

• Only blood, semen, vaginal fluids (including menstrual fluids), rectal fluids, and breast milk have enough HIV in them to infect someone. You can easily prevent contact with all of these bodily fluids; and

• Antiretroviral therapy is 96% effective in reducing HIV transmission in couples where one partner has HIV.**

Convinced yet?

If not, how about this… A person with HIV or AIDS is just that, a person. They are brothers and sisters, best friends and cousins. They are dads and mothers.

AIDS does not discriminate. People do.

It’s time we worked together. It’s time to stop stigma.

*National CANFAR-University of Toronto study, June 2011
** WHO and UNAIDS HPTN 052 trial, 2011

This June marks the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosis of AIDS. 30 Days for 30 Years is CANFAR’s month-long commemoration of this anniversary. Throughout the series, we will be providing you with photos, videos and statistics from AIDS over the past three decades.

To help us ensure that we do not reach 60 years of this disease, share 30 Days for 30 Years with your friends. Facebook and Twitter are great tools to utilize.

Here are a few messages to help get the ball rolling:

• 16% of Canadians still feel afraid of people living with #HIV and #AIDS! http://bit.ly/izoqMp
• Why does #HIV and #AIDS stigma still exist? http://bit.ly/izoqMp
• #AIDS does not discriminate. People do. http://bit.ly/izoqMp
• It’s time we worked together. It’s time to stop stigma. #HIV #AIDS http://bit.ly/izoqMp

There is no vaccine, no cure. Not yet. We need your help. Share our message and take part in ending AIDS.