AIDS THIS WEEK

Before I leave you I have two AIDS-related announcements. Tomorrow on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, assuming I pass my counseling mock-session, I will be certified as an HIV/AIDS counselor and will later work on my crisis pregnancy counseling certification. Yayyy!!!! Wish me well. It’s been a long time. The class dragged on since April because it was only once a week and no weekends. So now I get my Wednesdays back at work.

Secondly, I have e-mailed people to get 2D image slices of the HIV virion (particle) so I can reconstruct a 3D image to do work on. We’ll see. You know how e-mailing people for help on research goes (you may remember my pleas earlier last year that just ended up with me working on my own anyway; isn’t it strange that when you have someone who is willing to volunteer and work there is no one willing to give the opportunity or you can’t find the person who is).

Lastly, in South Africa as you know, you never have to pay for two things: a condom and an HIV blood test. This week is our semesterly week when they offer free tests. I’ll be getting tested so I can encourage younger people. Sometimes I don’t know why though. One friend, Ross, says that he wonders about getting tested because it gives his students (he’s a teacher) the impression that he is sexually active. Ross is a person that believes in saving sex for marriage and since he is doing that knows he is not at risk. Simultaneously we are truly trying to build an HIV-free society and raise an HIV-free generation. And to do that we must cultivate a culture of testing around the entire country. It’s imperative. Again, wish me well! Though I don’t need it; I don’t like having my finger pricked, though. Ouch!