G.Y.T.

In life there are the things we can control: our professional paths, who we spend time with, what we get involved in. And there are things we can’t control. As the famous saying goes, “Shit happens.” And it’s true. Bad things happen, and we twist and turn and figure out how to rework our figurative dealt hand to make the best possible outcome likely… or at least more likely.

A long-time friend was born with heart difficulties. After many surgeries and years and years of taking medication on a regular basis, one of her kidneys recently failed thus leaving her on the never-ending list for a kidney transplant. She and her sister reached out to the Facebook masses looking for support, positive words, and donating one day of status updates to awareness and helping our friend get a new kidney. The response, just based on what I saw, was extraordinary. Luckily her sister was a match for her, donated one of her kidneys, and they are both in recovery. In a recent email she stated, “And yes everything is going well and (insert sister’s name here) and I are feeling better every day!” No doubt, her sister’s selflessness, strength, and love; my friend’s courage, motivation, and will to live make this story a happy one.

A family friend was diagnosed last June with pancreatic cancer. He has been fighting, for almost a year, a losing battle with one of the most incurable types of cancer. (This, by the way, is longer than many who are diagnosed pancreatic cancer.) But with the support of his friends and family (and maybe enjoying some Lou Malnati’s pizza) he will go at his own time, on his own terms, leaving a lasting impression on those around him filled with tons of love, peace, and warmth in our hearts.

These are examples of making ‘the best’ of the uncontrollable. Most of us are fortunate enough not to have to deal with obstacles like these but...

Then there are the things that to some extent, we can control but maybe choose not to. The choice to not get tested for HIV/AIDS. Of course STD testing is absolutely, unequivocally important nowadays. And I think movements such as the GREEN movement, the TRUTH movement, and advertisements about safe practices like the Gardisil shot are reaching youths. But there still exists an in-between generation of us where dating isn’t quite like our parents’ experiences, but it surely doesn’t compare to that of today’s teenagers, who seem to be overlooked. And as a result, we’re not even looking at our hand of cards.

Cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are so commonly discussed either through advertisements, a figurative ‘who’s who’ of survivors, fighters, and deceased. Everyone knows someone. But AIDS and HIV are not so commonly talked about comparatively speaking unless discussing infection in places like Africa where AIDS is rampant and as common there as cancer is here. Why is this?

An idea :*ding, light bulb*AIDS is something we haven’t nearly figured out yet. There is no cure, similar to cancer. There are medications to slow the virus but nothing to rid it completely. There are still so many question marks associated with AIDS that people, naturally, fear what they don’t know. Because it is a ‘silent killer’ meaning, one could walk around unknowingly carrying this disease for months or even years without feeling a symptom. Yes, it is scary. And that’s all the more reason to talk about it. No, it is not completely overlooked. There are national and international charities to support AIDS research. Millions of dollars are poured into it. But it is not given adequate attention in this country given its prevalence. It’s not just drug users, homosexuals, or the sexually promiscuous that need to worry about this. It concerns anyone who is sexually active and practices unsafe sex. And not just sex; it can be transferred through a blood transfusion, open sores, or simply through childbirth. Modern sanitation regulations require thorough analysis and diligence in high-risk situations. So yes, that aspect is being managed but on a larger level. What about on an individual level? So ultimately, we’re being uber-diligent about our sanitation practices but we’re being reckless in our personal lives.

The problem is that AIDS has scared us into some stage of paralysis similar to the feeling that you get when you have too many things to do but not enough time. You know you need to start, but you don’t know where or how thus feeling overwhelmed and not taking any action at all. It’s scared us to the point where we figuratively cover our eyes and say “I don’t want to know”, but not to the point where we constantly make safe sex a priority. We need to get to the point where we say “I need to know.” And take some responsibility for our actions. Guess what… We live in America where AIDS isn’t an out-of-control disease like so many countries in Africa. Chances are, you’re fine. But a) it is not your (or my) place to decide for someone else whether they contract this disease or not, and b) we owe it to ourselves to get tested. We need to know. We need to know so that, if we are dealt that hand of cards, we can deal with it just like my examples above did. We need to know for our conscience, for our safety, and for the safety of others.

There are free clinics to get tested or you can have blood taken at your doctor. When you go in for a routine checkup, have an HIV test added into your routine. You’re worth the investment whatever the outcome. Would you ever tell my friend who just fought for her health once again that she should have stayed silent or ignore her symptoms? Would you ever tell a cancer victim not to fight? So G.Y.T. as MTV says. (Yes, I still watch MTV. The Real World still rocks.) Get Yourself Tested. Make HIV and AIDS awareness a bigger part of your life. It doesn’t have to be all-consuming. It just has to exist.

For more information on HIV and AIDS awareness check out http://www.aids.org/ or http://www.stophivaids.org/. For testing center locations in Illinois check out il.tstd.org or nationally at http://www.hivtest.org/.