When CBS Cares read that there has been an increase in HIV/AIDS cases in retirement communities, we did a double take. It seemed so unlikely that a deadly virus which can be sexually transmitted and which is associated with younger demographics could have found its way into the tranquil communities where many of our parents and grandparents have chosen to spend their retirements.
But public health experts confirmed the trend as well as the fact that most seniors are unaware of the risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Add to that the recent widely reported studies which have shown far more sexual activity in retirement years than had previously been considered, and the need for a public service message became clear.
In taking on this issue, we also felt that a message about the risk of HIV to even our parents and grandparents would convey to viewers of all ages and demographics that anyone of us is at risk of getting HIV if we fail to protect ourselves.
Our tag line, urging viewers to talk to their parents or grandparents about safe sex is not without irony or a dab of humor -- because it is an unexpected reversal of roles, and nature in any event causes us to spend as little time as possible imagining the sexual lives of our parents and grandparents! But the point is a deadly serious one: if the subject of HIV/AIDS and other STDs is not raised with single retirees who are sexually active, their health and potentially even their lives will be at risk. If you are not comfortable discussing the subject with your retired parent or grandparent, we recommend you refer them to one or more of the articles or websites on the following page. (click to continue)
“There's a lot of misperception about risk. And, unfortunately, that misperception is leading to a sustained and unacceptably high level of infection in this country.” -The first interview is with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the N.I.H.
“If we didn't think an effective vaccine was possible, we would not be working in this field.” -The second interview is with Dr. David Ho, CEO of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Professor at Rockefeller University Medical School and Head of the China AIDS Initiative.
Please… take a moment
Take a look at the AIDS clocks in the left margin of this page. Each time the top clock moves, it shows that a person has just been irreversibly infected by HIV. He or she does not yet know that the HIV virus is at work, silently invading their immune cells and turning them into HIV-producing factories that will produce billions of particles of the virus. They are unaware that their life as they knew it just came to an end.
The estimated average rate of infection is an astounding nine infections every 60 seconds. And AIDS doesn't only affect the person it infects - the lives of those who love and care for HIV patients are also irreversibly changed. What if this were someone dear to you? What if this were you?
Now take a look at the clock below it. Each time this clock moves, a person with AIDS has just died, shattering lives of their families and friends. An estimated average of five people die of AIDS every 60 seconds. That's five funerals to plan every minute.
Since the first case of AIDS emerged nearly 25 years ago, over 40 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV and more than 20 million have died of AIDS (source: Kaiser Family Foundation). In 2005, nearly five million people were infected - more than in any year since the epidemic began. By 2010, unless something dramatic changes, it is projected that 65 million additional human beings around the world will be infected, for a total of 105 million. That's 65 million people who are currently HIV negative or unborn.
HIV/AIDS is fast becoming the worst epidemic in human history, with no end in sight.
None of us are immune and there's still no vaccine or cure. The good news is that AIDS is totally preventable if people learn the facts and protect themselves. Our hope is that the following information will help you do just that--as every person infected with HIV wishes they had.
What follows in this section on HIV/AIDS are interviews by CBS Cares with two doctors on the frontline of the world's fight against AIDS. Also included is essential information about the disease for uninfected people as well as those who are HIV positive.
The first interview is with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the N.I.H. Dr. Fauci may well be described as the Chief Executive in the U.S fight against AIDS and is likely to be involved if a vaccine or cure is found.
The second interview is with Dr. David Ho, CEO of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Professor at Rockefeller University Medical School and Head of the China AIDS Initiative. Dr. Ho developed the triple drug cocktail that revolutionized AIDS treatment and sharply reduced mortality rates. Time Magazine named him "Man of the Year" in 1996.
The additional information on HIV infection, diagnosis and treatment, was developed for CBS Cares by The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser has partnered with CBS's parent company, Viacom, on an award winning, major global HIV/AIDS education and prevention project entitled "Know HIV/AIDS."
