HIV Infections are on the Rise

June 27 was National HIV Testing Day. Do you know your status? HIV is a disease which causes AIDS if left untreated. HIV is mostly contracted through unprotected sex and sharing needles when using recreational drugs. When someone is diagnosed with HIV, they may experience flu-like symptoms within a month or two after the virus enters the body. These early symptoms can include fever, headache, aching of muscles, having a rash, chills, a sore throat and diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that HIV- infected mothers refrain from breastfeeding to avoid the risk of transmitting the disease to their babies. A study done in 2011 showed that 49,273 people were diagnosed with HIV across America and 32,052 had been diagnosed with AIDS. I’m pretty sure that the numbers have risen since then because of the many sexually active young adults in the U.S., especially in the DC area. In this country, African Americans have the highest rate of contracting HIV, higher than any other race or nationality. It’s very important to know your status because then you can save a life by not infecting someone else and, just as importantly, save your own life.