June 15th - Irish AIDS Day

[Jim Allen]

So today, it's #IrishAIDSDay.

I will not be doing any fundraising this year, though, I had considered it but decided to leave it this year. Instead, I enjoyed a sunny walk in the park wearing my AIDS/HIV ribbon this morning.

Compared to the last few years, nothing much has changed. Still, far too many new diagnoses in Ireland, lack of comprehensive sexual education in schools, lack of access to screening, and the lack of PrEP remains a concern.

More info on #IrishAIDSDay2022 :

https://twitter.com/HIVIreland/status/1536970117107658752

https://www.hivireland.ie/iad2022-pr/

[leatherman]

Nice pix! It looks like was a nice day.

We're hotter than hell here in the Carolinas. Instead of walking the park across the street, I was in the air-conditioned gym. Then I went home and did a little yard work, jumped in the pool, did some yardwork, jumped in the pool, rinse/repeat.

So do y'all "celebrate"/acknowledge/whatever World AIDS Day (Dec 1) there?

You know we have all these CDC "HIV awareness" days; but they often don't get any press/acknowledgement unless you're following associated HIV facebook pages. Hell, WAD rarely gets any press these days, much less the general public knowing about the various days.

lack of comprehensive sexual education in schools

ugh. one of the most important health issues we should know about ourselves and at a time when our science is comprehensive about these issues, some sort of prudishness in the past has left us in a time when too many people are squeamish talking about sex.

unfortunately, as much of the world seems to be becoming less-educated, I worry that comprehensive sexual healthcare/education will always be lacking. sigh.

lack of access to screening, and the lack of PrEP remains a concern.

America's lack of universal health care is an underlying problem towards reducing HIV in America.


tl;dr
Happy Irish AIDS Day! 

[Jim Allen]

 

Yeah, it was a nice day.

So do y'all "celebrate"/acknowledge/whatever World AIDS Day (Dec 1) there?

We do, for WAD government buildings are lit up in red, flags, media, fundraising etc.
 
The Irish AIDS day lets us focus on issues in Ireland vs HIV and the world as a whole.  This year it mainly seemed to be focused on getting an AIDS memorial and better access to testing, PrEP. There was also a survey launched regarding stigma experienced; the results should be out at the end of June.

You know we have all these CDC "HIV awareness" days; but they often don't get any press/acknowledgement unless you're following associated HIV facebook pages. Hell, WAD rarely gets any press these days, much less the general public knowing about the various days.

Same issue here, although we only have two days, WAD and Irish AIDS Day, were having to make more and more noise or be shocking to be noticed.

ugh. one of the most important health issues we should know about ourselves and at a time when our science is comprehensive about these issues, some sort of prudishness in the past has left us in a time when too many people are squeamish talking about sex.

unfortunately, as much of the world seems to be becoming less-educated, I worry that comprehensive sexual healthcare/education will always be lacking. sigh.
America's lack of universal health care is an underlying problem towards reducing HIV in America.

100%

My Daughters school just had sexual health education, the new and updated content

It still gives the context multiple times; "When a man and women love each other and are in a close relationship" before explaining basic biological functions and they skip safer sex information.

Thankfully, I've had these discussions with her a long time ago, including non-heterosexuality, and the old condom over a banana, so she knows better, but repeated it all after last week's school session.

Ugh...