This year, when the entire world is focused on the corona virus epidemic, but Christopher is remembering his story on World AIDS Day.
In 2019, there were 6,90,000 deaths due to AIDS-related diseases. The United Nations has warned that covid-19 is hindering the treatment of HIV, further worsening the current disparity in treatment.
UNAIDS says that 1,20,000 to 300,000 can be added to it as covid-19 has affected its treatment.
Out of an estimated 38 million HIV victims, about 12 million people are still not provided anti-retroviral therapy as of June 2020.
Dr Birgit Pantovsky, executive director of the International AIDS Society, said “Although we have made extraordinary progress in the last 40 years, we need to continue to invest in it. If we do not do that then the gains we have made so far It will all be over. “
She says, “HIV affects developing countries heterogeneously, but to believe that only certain groups are likely to be infected is a misconception.
One thing has become absolutely clear in the last 40 years about HIV that it does not discriminate anyone.” People living with HIV are in every country, all age groups, race, sex, profession, religion and different orientation. ”
Unprotected sex is still an important source of infection. South Africa is still not free from the burden of HIV.
Unsafe sex is not the only way to get HIV. Dr. Poniatowski says that reuse of needles is also an important means of spreading HIV. Globally, 10% of all HIV-infected people have been infected with reuse of needles.
“I had many questions about HIV,” says Christopher. I was scared. It bothered me the question, what is HIV? ”I felt that the perception I had about HIV in the 80s and 90s changed in the 21st century. It is not easy for a straight man to accept HIV. This is due to ideas related to manhood.
