Abstinence In Mississippi

What is Mississippi doing with your Tax Dollars, it's not saving your Kids? This state is way behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Hosting religious forums to scream abstinence...when it can't even control the new cases of HIV/AIDS that is on the rise. The question we all should be asking ourselves is who is to blame for this foul attempt to destroy your children?

I would like to also point out that, this was clearly a way for Tax payer dollars to be used in a wasteful manner. Mississippi needs to own up to the growing problem (HIV/AIDS) and get this message out to the public and to the many kids that this HIV/AIDS is killing us African Americans in Mississippi.

Fighting HIV And AIDS Discrimination In The Workplace

Sadly, the complications that arise from a positive diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) extend beyond reduced T-cell count and susceptibility to infection. Today, HIV-positive people continue to face discrimination in their everyday lives, in housing matters, medical care, insurance, and employment. The good news is that many charities and organizations all over the country are taking action.
Where we stand
In a report produced by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), testimonies from community based service providers (CBOs) consistently cite issues involving non-hiring, terminations, demotions, and illegally demanding personal information. While this is pronounced in rural areas, cases are similarly reported in major metropolitan centers as well.
Corroborating the findings of the ACLU's report, nationally known Lambda Legal, specialists in discrimination representation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive people, receives thousands of calls annually at its help desk - a substantial portion coming from HIV positive callers- regarding workplace discrimination.
Know your Rights
Discrimination is never acceptable and there are many federal laws protecting individuals, including those with HIV AIDS. Federal laws that define and protect against HIV AIDS discrimination include American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Health Insurance Profitability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Together they form an extensive network of safeguards against unjust treatment.
ADA and "Reasonable Accomodation"
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that employers (in companies with more than 15 employees) must make "reasonable accommodation" for qualified employees with a disability -under which a person who is HIV positive is grouped. As a result, adjustments to a job, the application process, or work environment must to a degree that allows a qualified person to perform the job.
Now, there are legal limits to restrict accommodations to be "reasonable". The understanding is that an adjustment does not cause undue strain to the company, which is determined based on operating budget, facility size, number of employees, and more. Acceptable and expected accommodations include an alteration in job structure, more flexible hours to allow for medical appointments, or special office arrangements including a sitting stool if the job is usually performed standing up.
Knowledge and education are needed to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Here are some resources that provide HIV AIDS information and services: http://www.cdcnpin-broadcast.org/

Hiv - Infected Adolescents and Young Adults

(HIV)- infected young persons were identified in rural Mississippi. Contact investigations was done by the local health department. Hiv/Aids in small towns like Crystal Springs, MS provide a setting for the transmission of HIV among adolescents in the rural south. HIV infection can spread rapidly through sex networks in low-prevalence rural areas.

Among adolescents, disadvantaged black women in the South have some of the highest HIV infection rates in the United States and must be a high priority for the prevention activities. Referral services are in great need for identifying people in need of prevention service and for identifying the extent of the HIV- infection network.

There are many challenges to prevention in rural areas, one being awareness of treatment options and identification and training of appropriate local HIV care providers. The CDC has asked that Secondary prevention measures, such as links to ongoing HIV care and antiretroviral therapy, can improve health and survival and potentially decrease, although not eliminate, infectivity.

FACT: HIV weakens the immune system, putting you at greater risk for opportunistic infections. A person with HIV will develop AIDS within 10 years if that person is not aware of their status.

FACT: Mississippi's HIV disease rate was higher than the national average in 2006