There is a dangerous misperception afoot in South Carolina that HIV is no longer a threat and we have the situation under control. By not acknowledging the huge problem of HIV in our state, we are putting our children – and ourselves – at risk.
South Carolina’s HIV and AIDS rates place our state in the top 10 in the nation. This is not a top 10 ranking any state wants to boast about. To be specific, the number of AIDS cases rose nearly 300% in 10 years, to 14,163 cases in 2008. The CDC named South Carolina one of the Top Ten HIV “hot spots” in the country. Are we proud yet?
This epidemic is affecting our female population dramatically. In 2007, over 3,600 AIDS cases in South Carolina were reported in female patients. That same year, female patients made up over 33% of the new AIDS cases in our state. AIDS is the third leading cause of death of women in the US, and 81% of them are African American or Hispanic. This simply mustn’t be ignored or swept under the rug.
HIV and AIDS are real threats. By ignoring or denying the problem and avoiding talking about possible solutions, we are opening the doors for our children to expose themselves. Future generations need to be warned about the causes of HIV and how to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Comprehensive sex education in our schools will go a long way toward equipping them to do exactly that.
Tags: Comprehensive Sex Ed, HIV, Kay Chitty, Sexual Health, STIs, TTWomen, Youth
Kay, you hit the nail on the head! These are problems we know how to solve. The more we educate South Carolinians about there bodies and how to protect themselves then we will have fewer HIV/AIDS cases. If we stand and join Tell Them’s Virtual March!
Thanks, Kelly. I have been studying HIV/AIDS since the mid-1980’s when I did my doctoral dissertation on HIV/AIDS curricula in schools of nursing nationwide. Here we are, more than 20 years later, still denying and avoiding the facts. Here’s hoping the Tell Them campaign and the Virtual March will help get some heads out of the sand.
Kay – thanks for writing the Letter to the Editor. So much of this is about educating folks on the lack of impact current rules are having so they will try other approaches. Madeleine
HIV is a serious threat to the entire world. This is a global issue and we can start solving it at home in South Carolina.
Lately, through my studies, I have been seeing how far we have come as far as being able to talk about the problem. It use to be that people shied away from even talking about it. The fact that in the 21st century we can talk about it is strides from where we were twenty years ago. We still have a lot of work, like what Ms. Chitty said and I think that 10 years from now, the discussion of HIV/AIDS should be in the forefront of every classroom so that we can teach the next generation how to practice safer sexual practices and how to treasure our bodies in the way they need to be treasured.
Katie, I appreciate your encouraging note. It does take time for social change to occur. Thank you for your supportive note.