36 years since HIV appeared in our lives, let’s honor the survivors
“On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control published an article entitled “Pneumocystis Pneumonia” written by Los Angeles-based Dr. Michael Gottlieb and Dr. Joel Weisman about a mysterious new disease in five gay men in the L.A. area.”
That paper marked the official recognition of what became the AIDS pandemic. By August 1981, the CDC reported 108 cases of the new disease in America; six months later, the CDC reported that 251 people had what became known as HIV/AIDS and 99 had died. By the end of 2014, the World Health Organization reported that 71 million people were infected with HIV globally and 34 million had died.”
Read the rest of this story on HIV hero Dr. Michael Gottlieb https://thepridela.com/2016/06/aids-35-dr-michael-gottlieb-on-the-early-years-of-aids/
Today, June 5 is HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) started by Let’s Kick ASS to celebrate those who have lived with HIV for decades. Currently, 26% of all people living with HIV the US became HIV-positive before 1996. When better meds began saving lives.
HIV Long-Term Survivors are the heroes of the HIV epidemic. They put their lives on the line and joined studies that lead to these one-pill-a-day treatments and PrEP.
This June 5, please celebrate a survivor or many survivors. Do something nice for them, so they do not feel forgotten and invisible let’s honor their resilience at events, lunches or dinners. Let’s raise a glass and toast their longevity and thank them for their service. Many of us are getting by on disability, let them know they matter and that you love them.
Do it for them.
Do it for yourself.
Ask them how they are and listen to what they tell you.
Tell them they have no reason feel guilty that they lived and their loved ones died.
Tell them those we lost would want them to live their best lives by being empowered, engaged, and unified.
Let’s elevate HIV Long-Term Survivors to the head of the table, the table they helped build and let’s make sure they have what they need to feel a part of the world.
We need them. You need them.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND PLAN YOUR EVENTS FOR JUNE 5: 4th ANNUAL HIV LONG-TERM SURVIVORS AWARENESS DAY
San Francisco, CA — “HIV-Resilient” is the celebration theme of this year’s fourth annual HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) taking place June 5th in cities nationwide.
This year’s commemoration marks the 36th anniversary of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting on June 5, 1981, about five cases of a rare pneumonia affecting young gay men living in New York and California. It was the beginning of what would later be identified as HIV/AIDS. Today we know that HIV doesn’t discriminate and impacts people of all ages, races, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds. Currently, 26% of all 1.4 million people living with HIV in the U.S. became positive before 1996, meaning they are long-term survivors.
“HIV-Resilient” will tell the stories of survivors’ resilience. To that end, HLTSAD founder, Tez Anderson, is asking HIV/AIDS advocates nationwide to elevate the voices of HIV Long-Term Survivors. Anderson is looking for people to tell stories of survival using images, words, and videos to illustrate how many years we have been living with the virus.
“Given the current political climate, when our healthcare is being threatened by a new administration, it’s vital that we hear the stories of survivors of the worst epidemic of the modern age,” Anderson says.
Anderson, founder of Let’s Kick ASS — AIDS Survivor Syndrome, who started HLTSAD in 2014, is seeking to transform the conversation on long-term survivorship to ensure a hopeful message focused on creating a healthier future for older adults with HIV.
“#HLTSAD2017 is an opportunity to have picnics, potlucks or town halls. It is about ending the isolation survivors often experience,” he says. Anderson encourages people to take photos and share them on social media. “We want to increase the visibility of the thousands of survivors.”
Hashtags for this year are #HIVResilient, #HLTSAD2017, and #LongTermSurvivors.
For more information and ideas about events, please visit http://HLTSAD.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVLongTermSurvivorsAwarenessDay/
Follow us on Twitter: @HIVSurvivors
About Let’s Kick ASS
Let’s Kick ASS — AIDS Survivor Syndrome, a grassroots movement of HIV Long-Term Survivors is the originator and lead sponsor for this observance day, an official awareness day on AIDS.gov. To learn more visit https://LetsKickASS.org and https://LetsKickASS.hiv
With much love,
Tez
