HIV Does Not Just Affect Intravenous Drug Users - Essay Example

?Journal Entry Treat others as you wish to be treated Don’t steal Do not cheat in a relationship Gossip and its effects Be honest with everyone Journal Entry 2 Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist who produced art in the later parts of the 16th century and the early parts of the 17th century. He is famous for being part of the Baroque school of painting, and used realism in his art combined with dramatic lighting to give his paintings their desired effect. During the time in which Caravaggio was active, the Catholic Church was fighting an uprising of Protestantism, and they were searching for appropriate visual art to counter this new religious movement. Caravaggio often received commissions from the Church and thus much of his art revolves around Biblical scenes and other religious artistry. One of Caravaggio’s most important works is the Supper at Emmaus. This work is clearly religious as it depicts the recognition of Christ by his disciples. It seems to be based upon the message in the Gospel of Mark when Christ was said to have appeared in another form; in the painting, Christ wears a disguise. Caravaggio used his typical light/dark contrast to add to the incognito effect attempted by Christ in the books. The whole scene appears to be about how Christ can enter into our daily lives, and thus is an important message for many Christians. Journal Entry 3 I have chosen to write my poem about the effects of gossip and how it might hurt others. A big brick wall, covered in roses, with two pairs of friends on either side, talking A dark, shadowy stairwell down which the listener is walking with a candle A big bustling school scenario with huge open grounds and typical school noises A school toilet, with stalls through which gossip can be overheard A dining room table, covered in food waiting to be eaten, candlelit Journal Entry 4 Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say: Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday? And this first summer month that brings the Rose Shall take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away. You told me that every morning brings a thousand roses But where are you putting the roses from yesterday? Well, this June will bring roses too, And it will take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away. Journal Entry 5 This poem is going to have a light-hearted tone because it is not intended to be too serious, as this may come across as preachy or intolerant. To keep this tone, I have chosen to use a simple sonnet style for the wisdom poem, as this type of poetry is often used for romantic themes and thus is not associated with the more serious literary styles. Journal Entry 6 Student: Laotzu, I really need your advice with something. I am really struggling with a homework assignment for school. The deadline seems so close and yet I do not really understand what the teacher wants from me. Laotzu: Be calm, young student. Please tell me more about this assignment and why you can’t do it. Student: The assignment is a History essay about the American Civil War. I know a lot about the topic, but I really struggle with writing essays and I don’t really know where to begin. Laotzu: War is an important topic; we must learn from our past mistakes. It is important that we avoid war, as it goes against the Dao. Why do you feel unable to do this work? Student: I have been putting it off for too long, and now I am too worried to start or to ask for help. Laotzu: One of the central principles of my philosophy is Wu wei; knowing when to act and when not to act. In this case, I believe you should know it is time to act. Try to find the essence of the essay, and write what you feel. Student: But what if my writing is not good? Laotzu: The first action is the most difficult. Begin to write, and the spirit of the Universe will flow from your fingers. Student: Ok, Laotzu. Thanks for your advice. Laotzu: Knowledge is important. Please feel free to come again. Journal Exercise 7 There are many times when an action can hurt One of these is harshly used words Some friends may be particularly alert And gossip can be worse than swords When gossip takes a turn for the worse And the intent is purely of malice Gossip can feel like a terrible curse An exclusion from the metaphorical palace We know at times gossip is fun And we know it can sometimes be cute Gossip is like a loaded gun You have to know when to shoot Use the wisdom of this poetry well And your life should end up swell Journal Entry 8 American Civil War Native Tribes Psychology HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS epidemic HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Western World What types of people catch HIV in the Western World? Who is most at risk? The Fast-Food Industry Fast-Food Industry in America The Effects of the Fast-Food Industry on America and Americans Japanese Culture Pharmaceutical Industry Journal Entry 9 The death of Uther leads the land into despair, conflict and strife. Merlin invites the warring Lords to London for Christmas. The sword in the stone appears, and it is suggested that whoever can pull the sword will be King. Many try to pull the sword, yet no-one can. Everyone is watching a joust. Arthur is sent to fetch a sword for Sir Kay, but cannot find it, so easily pulls the sword from the stone. No-one believes Arthur at first, as Merlin had hidden his lineage. Many demonstrations of pulling the sword are requested. The peasants request the coronation of King Arthur. Journal Entry 10 I have chosen to write about HIV and AIDS. HIV/AIDS does not just affect intravenous drug users. The HIV virus is on the increase in the U.S. There is no securely known origin of the HIV virus HIV leads to AIDS and has a devastating effect on many lives. Journal Entry 11 One night on the planet Zorgen, Jizara was sat on his own, nursing a headache. The planet surrounding him was busy, with bright lights from the surrounding area making his headache worse. He had just been at work all day, trying to convince his boss that health insurance was necessary, even for the minority alien races. No-one believed him, because the Gyens didn’t get ill as much; but they still got ill. It was a tale going across Zorgen, but he was trying to make a difference in this small way. He sighed, and began his walk home. Suddenly, Jizara heard a noise behind him. He swiftly turned, and saw the most beautiful Gyen he had ever seen being attacked by a huge ugly Ugarn. The Ugarn were well-known for their violence, but he’d never seen it in the flesh. These creatures were huge, grey and with horrible pulsating veins on their forehead. Jizara was scared, but he knew no-one else would stop to help the Gyen female. He ran towards the fight, and grasped his electric communication device, throwing it at the Ugarn. It hit him squarely between the eyes, and the Ugarn let out a deathly roar. The Ugarn looked at Jizara, who thought at once that he was dead. Instead, the Ugarn let out another roar and lumbered away. The Gyen looked as though she were about to cry, but instead turned to Jizara and gave him her hand. “My name is Gkara,” she said. Jizara introduced himself in return, and offered her a warming cup of tea in the local bistro. They stayed chatting there until the early hours, and the rest is history. Journal Entry `12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV http://www.apha.org/ http://www.avert.org/usa-statistics.htm Books in the library The United Nations information on the AIDS Epidemic Journal Entry 13 One of the major African Kingdoms is that of the Yoruba people. The Yoruba number about 30-50 million people (estimates vary) and most of these speak the Yoruba language. The Yoruba Kingdom mostly consists of a large area of Western Nigeria. The Yoruba people have their own calendar and religion, which are used by the majority of people living in the geographical area of the Yoruba Kingdom. As the name suggests, the Yoruba mainly rely on a political structure based on a monarchy, although there are some areas which rely on an elected council of elders. One of the most interesting things about the Yoruba is that they have the highest rate of non-identical twins in the world, and twins play a very important role in Yorubaland, being seen as somewhat of a spiritual gift. The name of a member of the Yoruba is seen as very important and twins are given very special Yoruba names, which again show the importance of twins in the culture. Journal Entry 14 HIV/AIDS does not just affect intravenous drug users HIV and the related disease, AIDS, is one of the most important viruses in the modern world. Although cases of HIV transmission and AIDS itself are relatively rare, since its emergence in the 1980s it has become considered an epidemic and is one of the most common preventable diseases worldwide (). Despite the fact that HIV and AIDS are so well-known, many generalizations are made about the people who are living with the virus, which have become false facts over time. One of the most important false facts being distributed is that there is a ‘type’ of person that contracts the HIV virus, and that others are exempt. Whilst it is true that some modes of transmission are more common than others, and some of these involve dangerous behaviors, HIV/AIDS does not just affect intravenous drug users. HIV is a virus that can be spread in a variety of ways, but is generally seen as a sexually-transmitted disease or transmitted by intravenous drug users. The way that HIV is transmitted relies on the transfer of blood, sexual secretions, or breast milk (), which means that people engaging in activities where these are possibly transferred are more at risk. Blood is often transferred by intravenous drug use when needles are shared, and thus it is important for drug users to understand that they are at risk. However, this does not necessarily mean that all people with HIV have used intravenous drugs. Another common misconception is that HIV can only be transferred via homosexual sex. As mentioned above, any sexual secretion can transfer the virus (United Nations, 2006), so anyone who is not careful can be at risk of catching and spreading the virus (Douek, 2009). Another important thing to note is that not all people with HIV caught the virus in this manner, so it is important not to judge individuals with HIV and AIDS before understanding the whole story. As mentioned above, the HIV virus can be transmitted through breast milk and blood. This means that anyone born to a mother with the virus is at risk of catching HIV and developing the AIDS disease (Weiss, 1993). This is something which is not often discussed or suggested, but it is one of the four major transmission routes and should not be ignored. This is one of the main arguments against using the generalization that all people with HIV/AIDS must have used intravenous drugs. Before the routine screening of blood stocks for the virus, people who had undergone a blood transplant were also at risk of catching HIV and developing AIDS. In this case, infected blood was transferred from someone with HIV who had donated, and anyone receiving this blood was at risk. These individuals had also not used intravenous drugs but could very well have the virus, again suggesting that the above generalization is wrong. In conclusion, it is important to note that not all people with HIV/AIDS have used drugs, because there are many ways of transmitting the virus. Whilst drug use should be avoided because it does put the individual at risk, this is not the only way of catching the virus and so we should always be careful when making generalizations like that above. References [[Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS]], & HIV/AIDS, J. U. N. P. on. (2006). 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. Overview of the global AIDS epidemic. Douek, D. (2009). Emerging Concepts in the Immunopathogenesis of AIDS. Annu. Rev. Med., 60, 471–84. doi:10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123549 Weiss, R. (1993). How does HIV cause AIDS? Science, 260(5112), 1273–9. doi:10.1126/science.8493571 Read More