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Welcome to Amplify's World AIDS Day Blog-a-thon

Amplify, a project of Advocates for Youth, is an online community dedicated to sexual health, reproductive justice, and youth-led grassroots movement building.

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day for individuals from all parts of the world to come together in solidarity to bring attention to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Here at Amplify, we are commemorating the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day by having a Blog-a-thon.  December 1-7, we are calling on all of you to blog here on Amplify as a part of the global movement of young people fighting this pandemic. We want you share your personal reflections about how HIV and AIDS have affected you, your thoughts to the issues and policies affecting the health of nations and regions, and your experience working towards change in your community.

All posts will list down the right column of this page and many will also be featured on this page and the front page of Amplify’s blog.

So… what are you waiting for? Get blogging!  And check out the other Blog-a-thon posts in the right hand column!

New to Amplify? Get started here.


Featured Blogs

"Yes, we can!" African Youth Proclaimed on World AIDS Day

by: AFY_ Mimi

Last year on WAD, I was standing in front of the White House, amongst hundreds of activists united to advocate for the Bush Administration to "Cut the Red Tape"—by eliminating the earmark to implement abstinence-only, ideologically-based programs that censor youth's access to information about condoms and other ways to reduce to reduce risk of HIV infection.

Despite the fact that mainstream media has portrayed Bush as a champion on HIV and AIDS, civil society recognizes the reality that PEPFAR has failed young people on prevention. Now, at a time when the President Barrack Obama has been elected to take on leadership in the U.S., the tide of the HIV/AIDS movement is changing and there is hope that domestic and international policies will meet the needs of reproductive and sexual health among youth through evidence-based, comprehensive sex education that will provide youth the skills and knowledge to make responsible choices about their lives.

(Read more...)

Everyday is World AIDS Day

by: uthresourced

Certain days will always live in our minds as milestones or turning point I can honestly say I now have one. July 10, 2008 I received conformation that I would no longer be the same after discovering that I was HIV +. June 19, 2008 was a normal heat of the summer day in the south that I decided to go and get my annual HIV / STD test for the year. Never did I imagine, I would be receiving the news of my life. After testing positive on a rapid test, blood was drawn to perform more tests to ensure it wasn’t a false positive. I prayed, prayed and prayed that it was a 'false positive' after what seemed like FOREVER (21days) I was called back in to discussed my results.....Since July, life has been very different. At the mention of HIV in everyday conversation I listen more closely, being that I encounter a lot of persons that just don’t know about the disease. I tell my family members all the time, it is kind of scary to meet 'educated people' that cannot tell you the ways this menace is transmitted.

(Read more...)

And the Hope arrives!

by: don't mess

As the World AIDS day came and went I could not help but wonder—What is the next step? And the next step came in the official statement released by the Obama-Biden Transition Team. The statement was brief and simple: it proclaimed the administration’s commitments to development and implementation of a comprehensive National HIVAIDS strategy. This comprehensive strategy will be aimed at reducing HIV infections, increasing access to treatment and care and reducing HIV/AIDS-related health disparities.

Both domestic and international HIV/AIDS policies were addressed with a promise to not only reduce new infections, but also improve treatment throughout the United States—especially among communities of color—the communities, which are disproportionately infected by the pandemic. A commitment was made to reducing stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS and the promotion of open and honest conversations about the epidemic. And finally, a pledge was made to have access to comprehensive age-appropriate sex education for all school age children.

(Read more...)

Cabs make condoms convenient

by: Leah627

In conjunction with World Aids Day, ComCab, a taxi company in Aberdeen, England, began handing out condoms to late-night riders this week. Recent studies linking binge-drinking and unprotected sex made late-night cab drivers an ideal avenue for condom distribution.

Cool, right? This plan seems pragmatic, efficient, and, well, convenient. Imagine how much less unprotected sex would occur if drunken, carousing lovers were saved the trouble of going to a store or clinic to get condoms. Sure, condoms in cabs could create some uncomfortable scenarios. Imagine: it's a first date, the still-awkward couple is taking a cab home from a restaurant, and the cab driver offers them condoms? AWKWARD. But in the end, what's going to hurt more: a brief moment of discomfort or a growing HIV positive population? I'll pick the latter.

(Read more...)

"A Day to Remember"

by: kirbygirl87

December 1st, What was I doing?

Today is World AIDS Day and I felt really excited. I created a facebook event called, " Red Ribbon Your Profile Picture in Honor of Worlds AIDS Day" and I got a great response, over 30-40 people joined my group and Red Ribboned their profile picture. I posted videos, pictures, and information about Advocates for Youth and YWOCLC so that they could get informed about getting tested and about the work that we do. I also put a note on the group telling people to donate a dollar to organizations and charities that support AIDS/HIV Awareness.

(Read More...)

Costa Rica

by: Molly Luz

This is my first blog so far and I gotta say I love this site. Shelby Knox is seriously the best resource for awesome websites. I am blogging from Costa Rica in a small town called La Cruz. This is my third time coming down to this country and no I've never been on a surf board. I studied abroad here two years ago and did an internship with an organization called World Vision working on the Nicaraguan border handing out information about sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS to truck drivers, sex workers, tourists, police and border patrol. I have a special place in my heart for educating people about condoms and safer sex and find it not to be an uncomfortable subject even while traveling through Central America.

(Read More...)

One Love

by: Femmetastic

In honor of World AIDS Day, and the Blog-a-thon, I give you my favorite condom commercial to date. Maybe you've seen it ad nauseum or maybe you've never seen it. Either way, its totally cheesy, and adorable. I love it, and you should watch it.




From DC to Africa and back again

by K-dogg

For me it began in Botswana. I was twelve years old, and it was the first time I have ever been out of the coutry. I was transfixed by the place. It did not take me long to fall in love with Africa. Our charming and loveable guide, Moses, took us out every morning and afternoon for a wilderness safari. We put our life in his hands and he showed us the beauty of the country with knowledge, grace, and remarkable skill. I idealized him, the country, the land, the animals,  and the rhythm of Africa. A few days into the trip I over heard him talking to my mother. He confided in her because he knew she was a doctor. He was asking her about his brother. His brother had lost a lot of weight and he was worried that he might have AIDS. My mom began asking him questions about his wife, and when she realized that I had been listening, she told me to go off and "play." So, I walked a little ways away to look at the warthogs below the deck and eavesdropped intently...

(Read More...)


My Encounter with AIDS

by Jaevion

As today is World AIDS Day, I thought I would share this:

About five years ago, two days before starting University, I had my first encounter with AIDS. I was attending a training at my church when this happened. I was most traumatised and afraid... I knew most of the facts to protect me from contracting the deadly disease. But I was still worried that I may get it......

(Read More...)


World AIDS Day Vlogging!

by slacross

Hey everyone, this is my first vlog...hope you enjoy!




World AIDS Day Blogging Starts...NOW!

by als233

As a member of the International Youth Leadership Council, a group comprised of eight university students from schools in the Washington, D.C. area who work together to advocate for international family planning services and global HIV prevention and treatment, I really wanted to develop an initiative for World AIDS Day that could potentially reach every young person around the globe. Within the IYLC, we aim to educate the public and United States policy makers on the importance of providing funding for global HIV prevention and family planning through lobby visits, participation in conferences and meetings and campaign initiatives like this one.

Consequently, I wanted to create a project that was not restricted to our college campuses or immediate communities, but could involve young people everywhere…and so I came up with the “World AIDS Day Blog-a-thon”. My goal in this endeavor was to facilitate a dialogue around the reality of HIV in the lives of young people. I wanted something that could captivate young people, allowing them to engage their passion and creativity in sharing their experiences with HIV, not only to start a discussion, but also to educate peers on the cultural differences and faces of HIV/AIDS. For some, the HIV epidemic is a distant concept, for others it represents a daily challenge. This blog-a-thon serves to provide a global online arena for individuals to exchange diverse experiences and to find a common ground: the hope and desire to end the AIDS epidemic.

So, I would like to officially welcome you to Advocates for Youth’s first World AIDS Day Blog-a-thon!

(Read More...)
 

Check out more World AIDS Day posts on the right-hand column of this page!

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What is World AIDS Day? 
Started on December 1st, 1988, World AIDS Day was originally organized by UNAIDS, which chose the year’s theme after consultation with other organizations. In 2005, UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organization known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC).

The slogan for the World AIDS Campaign is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise." This is an appeal to governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and especially the promise of universal access to HIV treatment, care, and support and prevention services by 2010. This campaign will run until 2010, with a related theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year.

The 2007—2008 theme, leadership, highlights the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of HIV and AIDS. The campaign calls on all sectors of society including families, communities and civil society organizations - rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on HIV and AIDS.

As nearly half of new HIV infections occur among young people ages 15-24, members of our generation must be leaders in advocating for effective prevention policies and programs that reflect our daily realities. We must speak up and take action—we cannot depend on others to do so for us.