In Canada I think people have a false sense of security about Aids, that "it'll never happen to me" attitude. Having been here it's now scary to think of the risk many of my friends and even myself have put ourselves at times.
Here I very realistically think it could happen to me. I always assume everyone in HIV positive. I am afraid of medical facilities and completely avoid them. I am very conscious about blood, a sort of heightened sensitivity to myself or anyone else bleeding. Because I am in a relationship I feel safe from that avenue but I am more afraid of walking in the dark incase I was rapped because it would almost surely mean exposure to HIV and that is scarier than the prospect of the rape it's self.
Part of the reason I am sensitive to Aids here is the information I was given in training back in Canada. But the much more prominent reason is because on a daily basis I have contact with people suffering from Aids. There are 3 men in the Education department (my department) alone who are known to have Aids. These people are real to me. They have families, jobs, lives.
There is a lot of work being done in this country and in others to promote awareness and target prevention. A good number of VSO volunteer placements are centered around that work. Even Craig's work is associated since he is working for Hospice which is providing palliative care.
Although so much is being done Aids is still spreading here. It is very difficult to stop when the cultural norms tend to be the opposite of safe sex. For men here sex is their right. Monogamous relationships rarely exist and often even though they may know they are HIV they will still continue having unprotected sex with their partners.
Anyway those are some of my thoughts and experiences with Aids/HIV here in Uganda. I didn't really have a point, just wanted to write just in case it may make anyone else think. I don't know how HIV/Aids may effect your life but maybe spare just a second to thing if it does and what if any little thing you could do to help stop the spread. That's all, we now return to our regular programming.....
