FEAR RACED THROUGH MY MIND AS I SAT IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WAITING FOR MY HIV TEST RESULTS TO COME BACK.THROUGH EARLY YEARS OF LIFE I FAILED TO PRACTICE SAFE SEX LIKE SO MANY OTHERS MY AGE,AND , AS I SAT IN SUSPENSE, I WONDERED WOULD I END UP PAYING FOR MY MISTAKES WITH MY LIFE.
TEN MINUETS LATER, MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, THE DOCTOR CALLED ME TO THE BACK AND TOLD ME MY RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE.I TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND THANKED THE DOCTOR WITH A HANDSHAKE.TWENTY MINUTES LATER AS I WALKED BACK TO MY UNIT, I CONSIDERED THE ALTERNATIVE:MY TEST RESULTS BEING POSITIVE. JUST CONSIDERING THAT POSSIBILITY PRIOR TO GETTING TESTED IS ENOUGH TO THWART THE AVERAGE PERSON FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.MANY INDULGE IN THE THEORY OF DENIAL-IF I GOT IT ,I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.THIS THEORY OF DENIAL CREATES ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION IN THE MINDS OF INDIVIDUALS TO STOP THEM FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ALLOW THE AIDS EPIDEMIC TO CONTINUE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.FEAR AND PERSONAL INSECURITY PLAY A PART AS WELL.NO ONE WANTS ANYONE TO KNOW THEY HAVE HIV AND NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW THEY HAVE THE DISEASE.WE HAVE TO SHAKE THE COAT OF FEAR AND SECRECY AND TALK ABOUT IT,CREATING A SOCIAL FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ABOUT IT.BY NOT CREATING THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ,WE ARE AMPLIFYING THEIR CLASSIFICATIONS AS"OUTCASTS" AND ALLOWING THE EPIDEMIC TO GROW.
BY INTRODUCING AN EXAGGERATED AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITIES, WE ALLOW THE EPIDEMIC TO BE DISCUSSED AND CAN ENCOURAGE THOSE AFFECTED WITH THE DISEASE TO PARTICIPATE IN OPEN DISCUSSIONS.THE NEXT TIME YOU CONTEMPLATE ON HAVING SEX WITH A PERSON OR WITH YOUR PARTNER ASK THEM,"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD AN HIV TEST? DEMAND THAT THEY BE TESTED AND SHOW YOU THE RESULTS.THIS TYPE OF DEMAND IS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A POLICE OFFICER WHEN ASKING FOR ONE'S DRIVING LICENSE.THINK ABOUT IT!
"LEARN TO TRUST YOUR INTUITION"
BY ANTONIO BARNES
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