Hello,
As some of you may know, today is the World AIDS Day. I am sure that the nature of AIDS/HIV needs to explanation - all of you are probably aware of just what it does to people and how it spreads.
Today, some 40 million people are living with HIV or AIDS. In South Africa alone, 2,000 people are infected with HIV every day. This comes out as a staggering total of 720,000 infections a year, adding to the 6 million people there that already live with HIV. A lot of these people do not have access to ARV (Anti-Retroviral Drugs), which can vastly extend the lifespan of an HIV victim as well as alleviate their suffering. Unlike the First World (where access to HIV is relatively easy and almost free), developing countries face a continued shortage of ARV drugs. In some of the hospitals in Cambodia, 100 ARV drugs a year have to be distributed to 8,000 AIDS patients.
Some of you may be thinking - "Well, how stupid do they have to be not to use a condom?". The answer is that in many developing countries, there are very strong cultural barriers to using contraceptives. In South Africa, not only does the notion of using a condom border on being ridiculous, but even the president does not acknowledge that HIV exists. Contraception nonwithstanding, HIV can spread through blood transfusions and rape (a lot of HIV infected men in South Africa believe that raping a virgin can cure then of HIV). HIV can also be carried over to the baby if the parents are HIV-positive. The point of this is to say that the choice of protecting oneself against HIV is often not a free one, and sometimes, due to educational and social constraints, is not available at all.
NamePros runs a great initiative that lets you donate money to charities by purchasing ribbons with NP$. Those of you who have not already done so - please consider purchasing a charity ribbon today. Purchasing 400NP$ from the bank will only cost you $10 and will probably not make a whole load of different to your wallet in the long run - however, if many of us do so, it will make a different to the charities fighting HIV and seeking to improve the lives of the people already suffering from it.
So, today, on the World AIDS Day, ask yourself whether you want to register a new domain or whether, maybe just today, that money could better be spent on helping those who really need it. Ask yourself, and see if you want to make a difference.
Sincerely,
George
As some of you may know, today is the World AIDS Day. I am sure that the nature of AIDS/HIV needs to explanation - all of you are probably aware of just what it does to people and how it spreads.
Today, some 40 million people are living with HIV or AIDS. In South Africa alone, 2,000 people are infected with HIV every day. This comes out as a staggering total of 720,000 infections a year, adding to the 6 million people there that already live with HIV. A lot of these people do not have access to ARV (Anti-Retroviral Drugs), which can vastly extend the lifespan of an HIV victim as well as alleviate their suffering. Unlike the First World (where access to HIV is relatively easy and almost free), developing countries face a continued shortage of ARV drugs. In some of the hospitals in Cambodia, 100 ARV drugs a year have to be distributed to 8,000 AIDS patients.
Some of you may be thinking - "Well, how stupid do they have to be not to use a condom?". The answer is that in many developing countries, there are very strong cultural barriers to using contraceptives. In South Africa, not only does the notion of using a condom border on being ridiculous, but even the president does not acknowledge that HIV exists. Contraception nonwithstanding, HIV can spread through blood transfusions and rape (a lot of HIV infected men in South Africa believe that raping a virgin can cure then of HIV). HIV can also be carried over to the baby if the parents are HIV-positive. The point of this is to say that the choice of protecting oneself against HIV is often not a free one, and sometimes, due to educational and social constraints, is not available at all.
NamePros runs a great initiative that lets you donate money to charities by purchasing ribbons with NP$. Those of you who have not already done so - please consider purchasing a charity ribbon today. Purchasing 400NP$ from the bank will only cost you $10 and will probably not make a whole load of different to your wallet in the long run - however, if many of us do so, it will make a different to the charities fighting HIV and seeking to improve the lives of the people already suffering from it.
So, today, on the World AIDS Day, ask yourself whether you want to register a new domain or whether, maybe just today, that money could better be spent on helping those who really need it. Ask yourself, and see if you want to make a difference.
Sincerely,
George
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that'll be my goal
