Friday, June 27, 2003

[ rant ]

Somehow the idea that we need or want a National HIV Testing Day bothers me. Do we have a National Test-for-Every-Other-Disease Day?

Here’s my beef: Most (if not all) who have or get HIV these days, get it through specific behavior, that if stopped would prevent the spread of the disease.

Yes, I understand some who have/get it are seemingly unwitting “victims” of those who pass it on. But not really, because they could have done plenty to prevent it, including abstinence.

Yes, I understand that a rare few get/have it from tainted blood donations. Although I am confident enough to say that since the Red Cross and hospitals started testing the blood supply, there are no cases today.

So I go back to my main point - HIV/AIDS is a disease that is spread through specific behaviors, that if stopped, would stop the spread of the disease. So it galls me a little that we have a National HIV Testing Day because this is a disease that I believe could easily be wiped off the face of the earth if people changed their behavior.

[ /rant ]