I’ll only say this:

I’m very, very bored right now.

However, there are better things that I could be doing at this moment. And, if you’re reading this blog and this is the newest post and if you also have a blog, there are also better things for you to do. For example, you can write about AIDS. No, really. Did you know that today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day? In fact, it’s been 20 years since the first World AIDS Day, all the way back in 1988. Now, that’s a heck of a long time to be raising awareness about this particular disease that’s ravaging through modern society, and that’s not even the worst part of it. The worst part is this: AIDS is completely preventable, but many people are either not aware of this disease and how it’s transmitted or are just too careless to protect themselves against it.

AIDS, as it is, is not transmittable. It is the result of the damage caused by HIV, a virus that can be contracted through various means and, if treated properly, it might never fully develop into AIDS. The problem is that not everyone has access to prevent and treat HIV. According to UNAIDS, an estimated 2.1 million people died of AIDS, and about 2.5 million contracted the virus. And that’s just last year. More than 25 million human lives have been claimed by AIDS since 1981, when it was first recognized.

Okay, enough of the creepy statistics. There is currently no known cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS (they’ve been working on that since the beginning, I’m sure), but there are such treatments as antiretroviral drugs (ARV) that have proved quite effective at slowing down HIV to keep it from developing into AIDS. Many people under ARV treatment can live their whole lives with HIV and never (or rarely) show symptoms. Like I said before, not everyone’s got access to this stuff.

The only effective method to stop HIV/AIDS from doing any further damage is prevention. The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sex. There is, of course, the case of those who engage in unprotected sexual contact and are not aware of their (or their partner’s) HIV-positive status. Since we can never be sure about this, even if we’re wise and daring enough to ask beforehand, it is important to protect ourselves. That’s right, kids! Even if you’re really, really sure that your sexual partner is disease-free (or that you are, for that matter), it never hurts to be protected.

If you’re already doing that, good for you! If, by any weird chance, you learned something here (but I think you already knew all this, didn’t you?) and you have a blog, write about it! Spread the word! AIDS is still around, but it won’t be for much longer, as the search for a cure continues. Until a cure is found, do your part. Stay protected and spread the word. Join Bloggers Unite!