I care about fighting AIDS

AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a condition caused by a virus that attacks the T-lymphocyte cells that provide our bodies with defense against common diseases. This virus is known as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The virus was first spotted amongst gay males is New York City and San Francisco in the early 1980's, and by 1983 had become a epidemic of gargantuan proportion. According to the CDC statistics, through 2006, there were an estimated 1,014,797 AIDS cases in the United States alone, 37,852 of those only in 2006. Also, there have been an estimated 565,927 deaths in thirty-three states since the beginning of the epidemic, this only accounting for about 63% of the actual figure.
How did I join the fight? My sister joined an AIDS Walk team in her High School here in New York. She decided to take me along. Now in Honduras, I began learning about AIDS in about fifth grade, so I knew a bit about it. However, seeing the multitude, the many who cared, really alerted me to how deeply rooted and widespread the problem was. I’ve walked ever since, and raised funds with my High School peers. I figured that I could help people by not only being a contributor, but a supporter as well.

My latest eye opener came this summer, while reading “And the Band Played On” by Randy Shilts. This heartbreaking, but extremely informative work of journalism reaffirmed by belief that the fight is long from over, and that AIDS does not discriminate, so there’s no reason why we should.
For more information on HIV/AIDS and what you can do, my recommended sites are: cdc.org, gmhc.org, and amfar.org.