HIV doesn't just exist on World AIDS Day!

I do not live with the diagnose myself, but as a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury, HIV is something that's very close to my heart. As most of you know, AIDS complications claimed Freddie's life in 1991, and apart from very few of his friends and family, no one knew about his condition until the day before he died. At the time, HIV was so surrounded by a lot of stigma and fear, in comparison to today, very little was known about the condition, the effective medicines had not yet been discovered- it came in 1996, at least here in Sweden.
At the time of Freddie's illness, HIV was a death sentence for a lot of people who tested positive, some were fortunate to survive until the modern medicines came, some of them are alive to this day and doing well!

Much has changed since those days, effective medicines are available today, more and more people who are HIV+ have access to the medicines, but still to this day, there are people who suffer in silence and keep their status a secret out of fear of how people around them will react. We had a case here not long ago, a famous singer, he kept his status secret for 10 years, not even his band members knew! He had no support, a heavy burden to carry and he'd hide his medicines, not take them on the right times and he'd be more ill than if he had been looking after himself better. A few years ago he came out, he's getting a lot of support from fans and the rest of the society and he's and doing better, taking his medicines properly and taking better care of himself.
I feel sad for him though, and for others in his situation. HIV isn't like the flu, it isn't airborne, you can't get HIV from giving someone a hug or being there for them. You don't get HIV+ from spreading awareness of the condition and educating yourself and people around you!

It is time to end the stigma once and for all! And it's time to raise more awareness! HIV/AIDS has one awareness day, December 1st is World AIDS Day! But yet, it's barely mentioned in media, you don't see TV channels go red for awareness like they do pink in October for breast cancer. You don't see the red ribbon or other awareness items being sold everywhere like you see pink ribbons and items. It's time for a change!

HIV doesn't care who you are, it doesn't care whether you're homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, asexual, man, woman, transgender, transexual, young or old, it doesn't care if you go to church every Sunday or if you are an IV drug addict living on the streets. Sure there are some ways of life that will increase your risk of contracting the virus, such as sharing needles, visiting tattoo parlors that aren't serious about hygiene, have sex with random people without using a condom and so on. But in the end, knowing your status and being aware and educated can get you a long way! Don't share needles, only go to serious tattoo parlors if you want to have a tattoo, use a condom if you have sex with a new partner, if you donate blood, make sure everything used is completely new and not reused, if you receive blood, make sure it's properly tested for any blood transmittable diseases.
Sadly, blood donation and transfusion is a way for the virus to spread, especially in poor areas of the world- it's one of the major causes of the infection in some poor areas of China for example.

HIV isn't a gay disease or an IV drug use disease, it's an issue everyone needs to be aware of and fight against!

HIV doesn't just exist on World AIDS Day! It exists every day! Don't be afraid to reach out to someone you know who is affected, or reach out to someone if you're affected yourself!

Now I shall get off my soapbox and keep listening to the most epic album ever made: Queen, Innuendo!

I am by no means religious, I am in fact an atheist, but this song is epic in many ways! It's from Queen's album Innuendo and was recorded just months before AIDS complications claimed Freddie's life, he was very sick at the time the album was recorded, yet he pulled it off brilliantly!




This is also a very good documentary from 1988 about the global impact of AIDS, it's well worth a watch and it's in English: Cross Over, The Global Impact Of AIDS

World AIDS day!

Today is the day to do what should be done everyday all year really! Spread awareness, kill myths, get rid of the shame and taboo and fight for a cure for HIV/AIDS! This horrible disease has killed millions world wide and more and more people around the world are diagnosed everyday!
I'm healthy and thankful for that, but I really feel for those people who have their lives ruined by HIV/AIDS and want to do what I can to help!
So let's kill off some of the taboo and show support for people who live with HIV+ and their families and friends!

A thing about HIV you hear far too often is that it's some kind of "God's punishment to gay men" because gay men have a higher rate of HIV+ than the hetero population. That is just so wrong! Their sexual preference and use of the "back door" just puts them at a higher risk because the virus seems to be absorbed more easily, and too few consider that risk and don't use protection. But anyone can get infected with HIV! Sexual preference doesn't matter, all it takes is some bad luck, and maybe a few too many sex partners you don't know along with not using condom or the condom broke. My opinion on sexuality is that Love is Love, no matter if someone is gay, bi or hetero. Love is the most beautiful thing in the world! But gay men out there, please do get tested and use protection and stay safe!

Another common category of HIV+ is drug addicts who share needles with others. Needles should never ever be shared! I wish the society would take better care of drug addicts, help them get rid of the addiction and help them back into the society. Many who resort to taking illegal drugs want to quit, but can't! And they may have got stuck with it because of some traumatic experience in the past. The drugs became some kind of relief from the emotional pain. They need help, and until they can quit the drugs, they need sterile equipment and safe environments to prevent the spread of HIV and other infections.

When it comes to the HIV/AIDS rate in developing countries, it's just tragic there's not enough information and lack of money so people don't use protection, along with the myth that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS. There are many cases in especially parts of Africa where young HIV- women will be raped by a HIV+ man who believe it will cure him. Unfortunately it just makes it likely that the woman will be infected too, should she become pregnant there's a possibility that the child will be or become HIV+ too, or see the parents die from AIDS a few years later.

Many with the diagnose live in developing countries and too few have access to the medication they need to keep the HIV from turning into AIDS.
But that's were you and I can do a difference! If you can, make a donation to your local AIDS fund! It doesn't cost much and you will help saving lives! If you can't make a donation, then you can wear something red to show your support
So many children around the world are orphans today because AIDS took their parents. It's just not right! There just HAS to be a cure!


Another problem with HIV is that people often live for years without knowing they're infected, it's a virus working in silence, killing slowly and symptoms usually don't come until years later. Just look at what HIV did with Freddie Mercury! He went from looking perfectly healthy to withering away in just a few years, and he had the infection for many years before he found out, he had already developed AIDS when he got the diagnose.

If you know someone who is HIV+ do show your love and support, and help that person as much as you can! Don't behave as if HIV spreads in the air- that's what flu and colds do! But if you do have a flu or a cold you should maybe try to stay away from the person you know who has HIV as that person may be more sensitive to infections than fully healthy people.

If you have HIV, don't let it stop you from living your life to the fullest! Just do take extra care if you get a cut or something and always use protection. Don't hide your condition, there's tons of support to be found. You should not have to go through everything alone! IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT THAT YOU GOT INFECTED!



Who am I then? Well, I'm a 25 year old woman with a passion for awareness and helping others. I'm perfectly healthy myself, and wish EVERYONE could be just as healthy!

With all this being said, I shall get off my soap box and continue practice singing so I can one day start my dream: The awareness choir!