December 1 is World AIDS Day and the Sunrise Health Region is taking the opportunity to raise awareness locally by handing out ribbons at the Parkland Mall from 11:00 a.m. until noon on this Saturday.
World AIDS Awareness Day is observed annually on December 1. This year's theme is "Getting to Zero" - Zero New Infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. In Saskatchewan there has been a significant increase of new infections of HIV since 2003. The theme "Getting to Zero" highlights how everyone has a part in reducing the spread of HIV and bringing AIDS related deaths to zero.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is easily killed outside the human body and therefore can only be transmitted directly from person to person, either by sexual contact, exchange of blood or body fluids or from mother to child. According to the UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations program on HIV and AIDS, in 2011 there were an estimated 34 million people in the world living with HIV. Of the 34 million people living with HIV, about half do not know their HIV status. In Canada, one in four people who are living with HIV don't realize it.
While there is no cure for HIV, it is treatable and preventable. With the development of safe and effective medications, individuals living with HIV are living longer and healthier. Knowing your HIV status has two important benefits. If an individual is HIV positive, they can access treatment, medical care and support before symptoms appear. And secondly, an individual can take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of HIV to others.
In Sunrise Health Region information on HIV and HIV testing is available through family physicians, nurse practitioners, local Public Health Offices and 601 East Outreach in the SIGN Building on Broadway Street in Yorkton. 601 East Outreach is a satellite office of AIDS Saskatoon and has been in existence for over two years in Yorkton.
HIV related stigma and discrimination can affect whether someone living with HIV gets tested and accesses medical care and support.
"By increasing personal knowledge about HIV and challenging the misconceptions, it helps to create a supportive community for people living with HIV", says Deanna Bartok HIV Strategy Coordinator for Sunrise Health Region. "We encourage everyone to wear red ribbon on December 1st to show your support of individuals living with or affected by HIV."
