World AIDS Day

Today’s contribution is dedicated to a theme of AIDS, because 1st December is world day of fight against AIDS. As I mention later, this theme has also a response in the world of Second Life.
AIDS is an abbreviation from English “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome“ or also “Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome“. In the right word meaning, AIDS is not any illness, but a complex of symptoms and infections that causes the immunity system collapse and death later on. HIV (Human Imunodeficiency Virus) is the cause. AIDS was first described in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S.A. in 1981 and HIV was identified as by American and French scientists in the early 1980’s. Till now, nobody found any vaccine to kill HIV. There are only many drugs and the combinations of drugs that can slow the illness. In this context, I would like to mention name of Prof. Antonin Holy from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v. i. i. He and his team and in co-operation with American company Gilead Science developed the preparation VIREAD and he is also the inventor of others, see for more here. The inhibitor of reverse transcriptase of HIV – VIREAD – approved in the U.S.A. in 2001 is one of the most effective drugs against AIDS nowadays. It significantly increases the life quality of the patients and it became hope of millions HIV positive patients in the whole world. The use of VIREAD is approved in many countries of the world including EU countries and Japan.
Although they are known all possible transfers of HIV in human body, at the beginning it was not so, because an infection spread out first in the homosexual community in New York and among the addicts (collective using of the injection needles). Unfortunately, after several years, AIDS was identify between the heterosexual pairs, it was found the transfer from infected mother to an embryo during pregnancy and the infection due to the transfusion of infected blood. Today, AIDS has pandemic character. In the year 2007, it was estimated that number of diseased patients achieved 37,000,000 people; 2,100,000 was killed by HIV including 300,000 children. It is a bog problem not only in Africa and Asia, but also in Europe. The way of transfer is known! They are known the methods how to protect oneself! Why so much?
The red ribbon in the picture is a symbol of solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Today, people are putting this ribbon on their lapels for that reason. I think, it is same in SL today. Certainly there are several places in the SL, where one can obtain this ribbon. I personally have it from on German sim, where it is placed as charity for AIDS-Hilfe Bremen for 100 L$. If somebody is interested, I can send LM. Otherwise remember the patients and the victims at least. Thank you very much.

(Other source: Wikipedia)