Monday, July 30, 2012

today i'm reviewing the aids international conference and listening to hydeia broadbent

i was a little young and sheltered to remember all of the culture and media around the AIDS discovery of the 80's but i have found myself somewhat disgusted at how people address the virus in current times.  It's not in the news nearly as much as it should be, and when it is, there is very little mention of cures and not enough emphasis on simple education- it's all about treatment and drug development. People are complacent and even light-hearted about it anymore and it is not doing anybody any favors. 

And today, I listened to Hydeia Broadbent speak as a 28 year old who has survived AIDS for 25 years of her young life.  I listened to her still get emotional about everything the virus has taken from her and people she's known, and how hard the struggle is to live every day.  I listened to her echo my thoughts, going as far as to say that it is a scarier time now than it was in the early 90's because of people's willingness to step down from the challenge of eradicating the virus, to accept it as something light and treatable.