I sit in my room looking out the window, getting a beautiful glimpse of the Cleveland skyline in the distance. Tower City (a major Cleveland landmark) is lit up a beautiful shade of red for World AIDS Day. Today is World AIDS Day and we use this day to share awareness and celebrate how far the community has come with the AIDS cause as well as remember those who have been victims of the viruses. HIV and AIDS is finally being given the proper amount of publicity it deserves. From advertisements on TV for new HIV medications to the drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race doing a commercial promoting testing and condom use

View the drag queens here.

HIV is being talked about more. However I don’t think from personal standpoint that HIV and AIDS awareness has properly reached young people. In my opinion most of the teens I have observed at school and personally have this ‘don’t worry it won’t happen to me’’ view about HIV and AIDS. I feel this is because that young people have this idea especially around sexual activity that they are invincible, and because young people do not know enough about the virus other than the stigma surrounding it and the myths that society continually perpetuates. Myths like ‘you can get HIV from tears’ and ‘you can get HIV from a toilet seat’ to the classic one ‘ only gay people get HIV’. The truth is that they just don’t see it as an issue that pertains to them. I think the most important step here would be to raise awareness among youth, when we hear someone spreading one of the many myths, debunk it and let that person know that they have been misinformed, perhaps the most important thing we can do if we wish for a future without HIV and AIDS is to make sure young people know the truth about this virus.

My World AIDS Day this year was one of the most memorable, I spent the school day handing out condoms to people and explaining that it was World AIDS Day, I also reminded people to get tested and told them the dates and times for the LGBT Center in Cleveland’s HIV Testing and urged people to get themselves tested and know their status. Even if you don’t have a ‘scare’ or something that makes you need to get tested it’s good to get tested anyway so that when you do have an emergency need to get tested you know how the process is and it will be less scary for you. I also attended one of the most beautifully put together activism related events, sponsored by the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland taking place in downtown Cleveland and had a really great time.

In closing please remember that HIV and AIDS are still here, and we will not forget, and please take the initiative to get tested and know your status as well as always practicing safer sex.