On AIDS, Fights and How You Can Make a Difference
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the estimated number of cases of AIDS in the United States and dependent areas in 2006 was 37,852.
The cumulative estimated number of cases of AIDS through 2006 in the United States and dependent areas was 1,014,797. Of those cases, and estimated 9,144 were in children under the age of 13.
In 2008, the CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available).
The most common cause of transmission continues to be high-risk sexual contact, both homosexual and heterosexual.
The cumulative estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas, through 2006, was 565,927.
In other words, the AIDS crisis is far from over. In this country alone, we have lost over a half a million people to this disease. Somewhere between 40,000 and 56,000 people become infected with HIV annually. The visibility of this epidemic has died over the years, but the disease continues to flourish. (source)
On September 20 of this year I will participate in the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s annual AIDS Run & Walk. It’s a small step in the fight against HIV and AIDS, but every step counts.
My goal is to raise $1,000 for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, an organization that gives over a million dollars in funding each year to non-profits working on global AIDS issues in addition to efforts in Chicago and Illinois. Because of the work the AIDS Foundation of Chicago does, people living with and at risk for HIV and AIDS have access to an array of essential prevention and care services. (source)
This is where you come in. I’m asking you to support me as I make the tiniest of dents in the AIDS crisis. Please consider donating to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and supporting one of you favorite bloggers. I’m not asking for much. If each person who reads this could spare a mere five dollars, I would be well on my way to making my goal.
If you would like to contribute, please click here.
If you can not contribute, I encourage you to find out about ways that you can support the fight against AIDS in your own communities. It’s not too late to get involved and make a difference.
On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of individuals living with AIDS, I thank you. On behalf of those who find support and comfort trough the work of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, I thank you.
And on a personal note, I thank you for supporting me in this important endeavor.
