Unacceptable

While perusing the Yale Daily News this morning I stumbled upon a series of articles that simultaneously made my heart drop into my gut, and angry bile boil from my veins. Each of the articles was about AIDS awareness  research or funding. I know about AIDs. I know the history of AIDs--not in full detail of course, but I did take Chauncey's Gay and Lesbian History Course last year and I did watch Longtime Companion and I did feel the sense of doom and helplessness that came with a diagnosis of AIDs-- and I know that AIDs in the present day is treatable, but moe importantly PREVENTABLE. And I know that Connecticut  specifically New Haven had a high AIDs population, and that many of the diagnoses came from sharing drug needles. I also know that New Haven hasn't had an HIV-Baby born in 15 years, since 1996. What I didn't know is that AIDs is teh leading cause of death for both men and women in New Haven.

I'll pause to let that sink in.

Leading.

Cause.

Of.

Death.

AIDs.

Does that make any sense? In a country where automobiles roam the street, where obesity is the status quo, where heart disease and alcoholism are everyday occurrences, AIDs is the leading cause of death in New Haven. To be fair, I understand that all those aforementioned problems when combined with HIV lead to a higher chance of death, but still, it is absurd that so many people die from a disease that is preventable.

I just had to vent. Because so few people know this fact. Because I go to a school where thousands of the brightest minds live among this fact. Because so few of those minds are doing nothing to stop this fact.

It is frustrating. Frustrating and unfair and neglectful.