1st December – AIDS awareness day

30 Nov 2010 by Sophie Mei

Spreading the Stigma

This year, a young singer has received a two-year suspended sentence after infecting a partner with HIV. Nadja Benaissa, 28, has been at the centre of media frenzy after having unprotected sex with three men whilst knowing that she had the HIV virus – she infected one of them and was charged with grievous bodily harm

Under German law, a person can be sued if they are HIV positive and have (unprotected) sex with a partner without telling them about their HIV status. Consequently, German’s version of Cheryl Cole has been characterized as a heartless criminal after contracting the virus at the age of 17 and spreading it onto one ‘victim.’

It was careless behaviour on her part, but at the age of 17 years old or even older, it raises the question if you yourselves had the disease, would disclose your HIV status to this world full of stigma and hate?

The 1st December is World Aids Day and is aimed at removing the social stigma, raising awareness about the disease as well as raising funds for those that are effected. Starbucks yearly bring out their Red Cups on the 1st December to show their support.

This year the Pope has changed his stance on condoms saying that condom use to lessen the danger of infection is a 'first assumption of responsibility’. Boy band JLS are also doing their bit for the cause as they are now promoting the use of condoms and with their ‘sexy’ image, they are finally transforming the ‘non-sexy’ image of condoms.

www.tht.org.uk/informationresources/hivandaids/

Sophie Mei (featured picture)

http://sophie-mei.net