Blog #7

In this weeks blog, I’d like to first start of by saying that I am very happy that we don’t have an assignment or module due this week because I really need the break and I am sure everyone else does too. I’ve gotten to the point where I am use to doing these big assignments every week and I don’t feel lazy doing them. I know in the past, like years ago, if I would have been given these long assignments I would have put them off to the last minute and would have not done such a god job like I’ve been doing with the assignments in this class. I’ve been pleased with the scores I’ve been getting because I’ve put in a lot of hard work to achieve the best grade in this class. I also am striving to do my best in this class out of respect to all those who suffer from HIV or AIDS in that I am not BSing these assignments just to get through with the course. I want to give myself that satisfaction and to let all those who are ill with this disease that I tried to learn as much as I could in this class and that I take this illness very serious and I don’t want to take anything for granted. Many who are ill in the world didn’t contract the illness through the standard sexually transmitted or using drugs way but somehow in an unfortunate way contracted it from somewhere that is unknown. I could have contracted this illness maybe by accident when I was younger when getting a shot and the needle may not have been new. I have enjoyed the assignments of reading a book, watching movies, and getting tested for HIV because it showed me in depth of how people live with the disease, how they handle it, and the real process that goes on with getting tested for HIV. The feeling I like the most with getting tested is that for that moment and the weeks followed with waiting for the results to comeback is that a majority of those infected in the world had to go through the same process that I did with getting tested. In addition, we can all relate with how it felt like to wait those weeks or time period to get the results back even though many had way more greater concern with their test than I did. I essentially put myself in their issue and felt what they felt with this whole process which allows me to fully understand the feeling that they go through when waiting for their test results.

Did you know?......
Federal data released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, have found that AIDS-related death rates in jails, state prisons have dropped significantly (The Body, 2005). In 1988, jail mortality rate from AIDS-related illnesses were 20 dead for every 100,000 inmates and in 2002, the mortality rate were 8 dead for every 100,000 inmates as well (The Body, 2005). This shows that the mortality rate has decreased by 12 inmates between fourteen years, which is a big decrease (The Body, 2005). In state prisons from 1995 to 2000, the mortality rate in state prisons has as well enormously decreased from AIDS-related illnesses (The Body 2005). Within that time period (5 years), their has been a decrease of inmate mortality rate of about 75 inmates that is 100 deaths for every 100,000 inmates in 1995 and 15 deaths for every 100,000 inmates in 2000 (The Body, 2005). Officials attributes to this sharp drop from improved medical equipment and advocacy groups being more aggressive in filing lawsuits to improve conditions in jails and state prisons (The Body, 2005.

The Body. (August, 22, 2005). Retrieved by October 21, 2009, from http://www.thebody.com/content/whatis/art9490.html