My Weekly Blog
I had a very interesting week; I saw two of the required movies, Silverlake and Common Threads and loved how down to Earth they made them.
I made my 16 year old daughter watch them with me and we cried together and it gave me a chance to discuss the disease more in depth with her.
I got a bunch brochure from the Osceola County Health Department about HIV/AIDS and others STDs and I took some time aside to go over them with my 9, 16 and 17 year old kids at home.
It felt good knowing what to say and having all these resources in hands did work the magic. I am very thankful to this class; it has made a difference even in my kid’s life.


Weekly Topic
Venezuela has one of the largest HIV/AIDS epidemics in the Latin American region and the disease is continuing to spread (mostly through unsafe sex) (UNAIDS).
Local Non Government Organization profile: “Acción Solidaria” (www.acsol.org)
Acción Solidaria is a Venezuelan non-government organization that offers one of the only comprehensive service centers for people infected with HIV/AIDS. They offer medical and psychiatric support, as well as education and prevention programs to Venezuelan communities. Through these programs, the organization attempts to create awareness about the disease, as well as bring an end to the stereotypes and stigmas that surround it. An explanation of the organization and its president can be found in English at this website.
Accion Solitaria was awarded the 2006 Red Ribbon Award. The Red Ribbon Award is given to community groups for outstanding leadership in responding to AIDS in one or more of the following categories:
• Ensure that that people living with HIV receive treatment
• Support HIV prevention, treatment and care programs for people who use drugs
• Remove punitive policies and laws, stigma and discrimination that block effective AIDS responses and marginalize key populations (men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers and prisoners)
• Stop violence against women and girls and promote gender equality
• Enhance social support for those affected by HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children
Feliciano Reyna Ganteaume, created the Ashoka network of AIDS Community Service Centers in Venezuela; a country severely lacking in effective prevention and care. He asked support from the most influential sectors of society (Ashoka, 2002).

DID YOU KNOW…
HIV positive newborns get many blood tests done at various stages after birth up to or past six months of age to determine his or her HIV status (Univ. of Virginia, 2007).
HIV positive babies get all their routine vaccination against diseases and they are safe for them (Univ. of Virginia, 2007).
Doctors recommend a “6 weeks course of oral AZT in combination with other anti-HIV medication” as soon as they are born just to be on the safe side (AIDS INFO, 2009).
When it is official that the newborn does have HIV, then he or she will still get treat it for P. Carinii/Jiroveci Pneumonia (PCP) as a form of prevention and the newborn will also get treat it for HIV/AIDS indefinitely just like an adult would (Pregnancy-info, 2009).

Works Cited
Web: Ashoka. (2002).Retrieved February 3, 2010. From http://www.ashoka.org/fellows/viewprofile3.cfm?reid=97611
Web: AIDS INFO. (May 2009). Retrieved February 3, 2010. From http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/HIVPositivewomenand TheirBabies_FS_en.pdf
Web: Red Ribbon Award.(2010). Retrieved February 3, 2010. From http://www.redribbonaward.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=92&lang=en
Web: Venezuela. (2009). Retrieved February 3, 2010. From http://www.unaids.org
Web: University of Virginia Health System. (January 22, 2007). Retrieved February 3, 2010. From http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/UVaHealth/peds_infectious/aidshiv.cfm