Blog 5

Well this week for question of the week I was torn between two decisions. I was asked what I would do if I was a witness of a car accident and one of the victims whispered “HIV positive” to me right before she became unconscious. Even thought a part of me wanted to just say that I would try to help the woman’s bleeding womb no matter what she said, I had to be honest. I would automatically assume that she was warning me about herself and not the other passenger and I would have to take precautions. Of course I would look for anything to use a barrier between her blood and my skin, such as a towel or other piece of clothing, but if I ran out of options I would just have to wait for help. I would feel horrible about the condition of the victim but at the same time, if something happened to me, I can only imagine how I would feel, as well as my family and friend’s feelings.

I also had to watch a few movies this week and review them. The movie that touched me the most was Common Threads. The reason this movie stood out was because of the story of David Mandell, a boy who died at the age of 12 from AIDS. I guess it was because I was so shocked when I saw at the beginning of the movie 1976-1988, and I was like “what!” I was well aware that anyone could get HIV and die from AIDS but I guess it’s because I rarely hear about young children dying that I was so upset to hear that story. I felt the pain of David’s parents as they told his story and how he loved life despite his condition. In an interview with David he talked about how he wishes people would treat AIDS patients like normal human beings. I loved that he had a good spirit during his battle.

I still have one more movie to watch before I write my reviews, and I plan on watching it tonight at the library after work. The movies have been graphic and honest, but definitely eye openers. I wish these kinds of films aired on television regularly because they are educational. I still believe a lot of people are in denial about HIV/AIDS and some of these movies can be wake up call.

Did You Know?

As you might have already known, the amount of African American young adults that are infected with HIV is rapidly growing. L.I.F.E. AIDS is an organization formed by several black college students around the country. This organization started a “Got AIDS?” t-shirt campaign that was aimed to bring awareness to black college students and other young adults about HIV/AIDS.

http://diverseeducation.com/article/4383/1.php

http://www.cafepress.com/+got_aids_dark_tshirt,188913286

Blog 4

This week has been so busy for me! Multiple tests, multiple assignments, and cold weather that I can’t stand. I am just about done reading the book for our next assignment. I choose to read “Surviving the Fall” because it was written by a doctor. Although I am not interested in working in family medicine, I thought I could relate to this book the most. The book was not what I thought, because I assumed it would be way too much information about individual patients down to the science of the disease. I enjoyed reading about the doctor’s life and family. Everything tied into the story about how he felt as a doctor during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. The way he explained his patients was so vivid and I felt like I was there as he was wrote.


I really enjoyed the question of the week because I got to interview people. I asked two people close to me about their feelings on HIV and knowing an HIV positive person. They both said what I would have said if asked the same questions. They wouldn’t let the status of their friends affect their relationship. I can’t see myself letting HIV get in between the friendship I have with any of my loved ones either. Since I figured this would happen, I also interviewed a complete stranger. I asked a man in the library the same questions and he really surprised me with his answer. He thought that visitors to Africa were to blame for the growing problem of HIV in America. I have never heard of anyone saying this before. I think most people know that the disease was first brought to the U.S. from Africa but I personally think that unprotected sex is to blame right now. The fact that young, southern, African American women are among the most infected now explains that. I doubt that all these women are traveling to Africa, or have slept with someone who traveled and got infected there. It might just be me, but I was stunned by his answers, and he was surprisingly calm and confident about his responses.


Either way, I am learning a great deal every day. If it’s not by doing my reading for this class online, it’s by talking to others and sharing my experiences in this class. With all that was going on with me this week, the interview definitely stood out. I am looking forward to the end of this week, as I'm sure most of you are too. I will let you all know how my book ends!



Did You Know?
"At UCF, one in every four students has an STD and not even half the students have been tested for HIV." Now all of you can do that little exercise where you count four of your friends....yes it's that serious! I don't know how you guys feel, but that number is way to high for my liking.

http://http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/2.10660/education-key-defense-1.1424801

Blog 3

Well guys yet another week has gone by. I have learned a lot during the question of the week this time. The statistics and facts that people put in their post were very interesting. I like to hear how others would handle certain situations. Our question was about what we would do if we were injured in another country with high rates of HIV/AIDS or other diseases and we needed a blood transfusion. Most of the posts that I read were just like me and up in the air about things. It would all depend on exactly how much time was on our side. I know the doctor doesn't have all the answers, but he/she could give a good estimate on whether you had enough time to wait on the United States blood. Although I am a sucker for pain I would choose to endure the discomfort and receive blood that I could trust a little more.
I'm working on reading the book for this class and I must say that is interesting as well. I can't wait to watch the movie and go to the panel. It would be nice to have some face to face interaction for this class. I am also working on the next module for this class. It is a lot of busy work and I know a lot of the information from classes I've taken in the past, but I must say it is a good refresher on the material. I hope to get everything done tomorrow, but if not it should be done Friday. I hope you are all enjoying my posts and I am learning a lot from reading all of yours. I'm looking into getting more information about my Did You Know as well. I think that my topic will open a lot of our eyes, since we are college students. I am taking Teach's advice on the statistics for UCF and hopefully I can find some information for you guys for next week. For all of you that saw the movie Juno, this video might be a little more humerous. Either way, this kind of stuff should be played in high schools all the time. It's funny, but so true!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ar-A8hQXv4