You have some AIDS in your hair! Say WHAT? Health Blog Challenge - Day 6
/
I'm going to take a stab at participating in WEGO Health's National Blog Post Month.
Every day for the month of November, I will be responding to prompts given by WEGO Health. I am doing this to strengthen my brevity in writing skills. I am doing this because if my attention span is that of a gnat with ADHD, how I can I expect anyone else to read through all my random thoughts? And yes, for me...this is a "short" blog post!
So, I'm five days behind but I will start with today's prompt.
Say WHAT?!What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve heard about your health condition? Was there any context? What did you think at the time you heard it – and what do you think of it now?
The most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard about HIV/AIDS???!!!! Where do I begin??!! Just recently a friend of mine posted on Facebook that while she was cutting a gentleman's hair, the conversation came up about being able to tell someone has AIDS by their hair texture. Here's a snippet of her posting:
My response is as follows:
Being HIV positive, I try not to be offended by myths, but it's hard. Growing up I've always heard I have "good hair", and now that I'm natural, people are baffled that I still have "good hair". Really? PLEASE. Hair is hair and usually if someone with HIV/AIDS is losing their hair it's because of the various treatments they have been on or other health ailments that their immune system is fighting in addition to the virus.
Thanks to media and Hollywood, the portrayal of HIV/AIDS infection is diluted to generic symptoms which isn't their fault because if you exhibit any immediate symptoms after infection, they are very similar to the flu or a bladder infection (which was my case). This baffles me because regardless of the HIV NOT being transmitted through coughing, sneezing, holding hands, using the bathroom after someone, using the same eating utensils, or swimming with - the concern for someone coughing severely should be addressed because of the flu which there is actually a vaccine for. When the Swine Flu came about everyone lost their minds wearing masks and drowning in hand sanitizer. With reason. But when public health officials tell you that all you have to do is abstain or wear a condom to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS people don't want to do it.
I'm thankful to those out there willing to admit that they didn't realize what they believed was false and I'm thankful to those out there that are educating themselves so that they can educate others. I'm grateful for my life in light of my infection 11 years ago because it has opened my eyes to the limits people put on themselves regarding their own health and the responsibility of maintaining it.
There was conversation on her page regarding others that thought the same thing. I sat back and watched the postings, then I posted the above statement and was later inboxed my thanks for shedding personal light on the situation. I'm not mad that people believe things like this are true, I'm mad that there are people that know different and won't step up to say the truths. Once you know better, you have to do better.