School Fatigue

Mar 24, 2008 - 19:12 PM PST

50 days until the end of the semester I was informed today. Already I have school fatigue. The funny thing is I'm taking great classes this semester. I mean they are all in my interest--Global Public Health, AIDS Crisis, Project Management. But I'm over it. Yesterday I told a friend I'm over HIV/AIDS. I know it sounds horrible but I literally cannot read another book about it. Here me out... my whole interest surrounds health and human rights. I think what it is, is that no one is saying anything new. All the books and articles I've read all say the same thing, there is stigma, it's debilitating Africa, higher prevalence in women, men who have sex with men, and especially African and African American women. YES WE KNOW. Now what? No one says where it comes from, oh yes maybe you believe the monkey's theory, or because of globalization a small village in Africa which lived with the disease for years was able to spread it, then there are the other theories like man made it, and spread it in Africa as a science experiment, sort of like syphilis in AA men in the south, or the fact that Africans are so damn promiscuous that HIV is running rampant in the entire continent. But there is no definitive proof of any of these theories. If monkey's started it then how did SIV jump into humans to create HIV, and if the government started it why is there no cure, oh and if Africans are so promiscuous, then why is the rate of heterosexual transmission only 0.15% and 0.23% if there is an existing STD. Nothing adds up, why isn't anyone talking about that? The other day I read some articles about dirty needles spreading the virus, possibly through vaccination programs implemented in Africa. Hmm maybe, but it still doesn't account for all the high rates. All I'm saying is, people need to stop writing books about the fact that there is HIV, and start coming up with realistic ways to solve it. HIV isn't the real issue in Africa, it's poverty. Life expectancy aren't lowered because of HIV, they are lowered because of the fact that people can't feed their families so they are putting themselves in high risk situations. Where is the outrage?! And lets talk about why campaigns to lower HIV rates spend more money on advertisements then they do in the communities they try to help....write a book about that. {


I'm supposed to be dedicating my life and focusing my career path on these issues, and I'm already exhausted and I haven't even finished my grad degree yet...GOOD GRIEF!