Did you know?

Today is World AIDS day. I have been mulling over this post for a while, so I thought today might be the best day to post it. 
 

When you hear the letters “HIV”, what emotions do you feel? Is it fear, worry, uncertainty, anxiety? Or is it hope, love, and passion?

Please know that this post is not meant to be judgmental. Only months ago, we fell into the category of uncertain and fearful.

But now we know. We have had the privilege of learning about the spread of HIV and we are no longer fearful. We are now passionate.

Here in the States, we have access to medication that can control the HIV virus. Antiviral medication can make the level of HIV in the blood UNDETECTIBLE! In addition to this, HIV is an extremely fragile virus. It dies almost instantly when exposed to air.

Mark and I have spoken with infectious disease doctors, HIV educators, and pharmacists specializing in HIV medication.

They all had different facts to share, but the consensus was the same. Once the level of HIV in the blood becomes undetectable, the risk of transmission by blood is so close to zero it cannot be measured. We were even told that we are more likely to have a fatal car accident, get struck by lightning, or hit by a meteor than contact HIV though blood to blood exposure!

Children with HIV often get overlooked when it comes to adoption. We should not fear that HIV will be spread in a family setting. The facts against it are there. We have to fear the psychological effects due to the stigma attached to HIV.

So, is it fair? What do you think?