Valley Affairs Series
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Mandatory Testing
And, of course, everyone has their stereotypes when it comes to people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. They're either gay, promiscuous, IV drug users, etc. Therefore, there's a certain lack of sympathy that I believe should exist with anyone who has it...no matter what kind of lifestyle they've led. Who are we to judge...and say that people are deserving of such a horrible death, just because they were humans and made the same mistakes a lot of people in the world make?
I won't even lie to you. I've made some very grave mistakes when it comes to sex. However, I've been blessed to have never contracted a sexually transmitted disease or HIV. And I know there are many other people, especially the ones who attempt to make others believe they're saints, who've made the same mistakes. And they, like me, were lucky.
It's been plaguing my mind...how we as a nation can put an end to this dreadful disease. They say education is the number one way to stop the disease, but if you ask me, that's a bunch of B.S. People, in the end, are going to do what they want to do...then think about the consequences later...especially those of my particular generation. And by then, they will have spread the disease to God only knows how many people.
My solution? To make testing for HIV mandatory. That's the only way this disease will be wiped out. For those who know they have it, unless crazy, won't go around spreading it...especially if they're aware the government is cognizant of their status. And even if they are crazy and choose to act with such a devoured heart, they will suffer the penalty for it, which I believe should be death.
I can't believe how many people would rather not know their status. Some believe they'll die faster if they know, which is just plain ignorant. But I know I would rather know my status and deal with it...if positive...rather than know that I've also led to the death of several others I decided to be intimate with.
And for those of you who are thinking that marriage is the solution, you're wrong. Check the statistics and see how many spouses have brought this disease home to their family.
Would mandatory HIV testing be against the civil rights of others? I don't really think so. And even if it was, the only people who would have a problem with it is people who know they may be positive or people who just don't care whether or not they are so that there's less guilt involved when they come to discover they have exposed others to the virus.
I truly believe this is one of the plagues God predicted in the book of Revelation. And I believe it is capable of killing 1/3 of the universe. Yet, there is a way to stop it. And with the way infections are rapidly increasing everyday...it's apparent that the government's current form of prevention is ineffective. It's time to take it to the next level, so that there's less death and the prevention of so many children being orphaned due to parents who have died of the disease.
I do believe people have a right to their medical privacy. However, when a communicable disease is discovered by a health official, it must be reported to the CDC. So, if one is negative...what's the problem? If one is positive, wouldn't it be better to know? Or do we live in a nation full of people who want to bring as many people down with them as they can?
There's absolutely no reason not to be tested. And it kind of makes you wonder. What kind of a person wouldn't want to be?
Yes. It can lead to more suicides. I understand that there are people who would see that as the best option rather than live with the disease. But suicide is their choice, in the end. People with HIV can still live a full life, until God calls for them...just as He decides to call for anyone else.
And I won't sit up here and tell you that HIV/AIDS isn't a death sentence. I believe it is. But some people are blessed to live with it longer than others. Of course, most people in the world aren't as rich as Magic Johnson and just can't afford the medication that's apparently keeping him symptom free and alive after so many years. But there is still hope. And we, as a nation, need to have more compassion and love for our fellow man...see it as our responsibility to get tested. I mean, it's not as if the CDC is going to create a website on the internet, showing who's positive...as the government does for sex offenders. Now that would be against one's civil rights...unless that person is known to be acting with a 'devoured heart', which means spreading the disease intentionally.
So, my final word to you today is to get tested if you haven't been. Save the lives of others, including yourself. Because there is medication that extends life, and I wouldn't like to think people are in such denial...that they know the chance of them being positive is there...but they're still out there conducting themselves as if they're not.
Be safe. Look out for yourself. And look out for your fellow man. That's what makes you human, after all.
