Watch the World AIDS Day animation “The Rise and Fall of Angry Aids”
The animation, to be released on World AIDS Day on 1 December, details how the treatment and prevention of HIV has progressed from the point of view of an angry AIDS character. The reason why the character is angry is the fact that the golden age of AIDS is over, as medication can prevent the virus from being transmitted in unprotected sex. With modern treatment, a diagnosed HIV infection no longer reduces life expectancy, and proper medication prevents the infection from progressing to the AIDS stage.
”People’s notions of HIV are often dark. We wanted to commemorate World AIDS Day by producing a campaign video that would rouse people to think about their own preconceived notions of HIV. The fact is that HIV is a treatable disease, and the infection is not transmitted by HIV-positive people who are on medication,” says Director Sini Pasanen from HivFinland. Link to the video https://youtu.be/V-b3UhnwMFU
Medication prevents HIV from being transmitted in unprotected sex
The ”triple cocktail” of medication implemented in the middle of the 1990s has successfully kept people living with HIV healthy. The effects of the combination therapy have been groundbreaking, allowing people infected with HIV to live their lives to the fullest, free of symptoms. HIV is not transmitted in unprotected sex if the HIV-positive partner has started regular medication on time, confirms a Partner study published in Europe this year: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2533066
The large-scale study monitored a total of 888 straight and gay couples in which one of the partners was HIV-positive from 2010 onwards. These couples engaged in unprotected sex a total of 58,000 times during the study period, yet no cases of HIV being transmitted from the HIV-positive partner to the HIV-negative partner were recorded.
Number of unaware HIV-positive people in Finland approximately one thousand
There are approximately one thousand people in Finland who are unaware of being HIV-positive, and people often do not get tested until years after infection. Furthermore, in many countries people infected with HIV do not receive medical treatment, potentially exposing their sexual partners to infection. The most effective way of preventing HIV infection is using a condom, which also protects against other sexually transmitted diseases, some of which can cause severe infections if left untreated.
”When it comes to protecting yourself from HIV, it is safer to have unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner who is on medication than with a partner who thinks that they are HIV-negative. Correcting preconceived notions increases people’s willingness to get tested and the chances of infections being diagnosed early,” says Executive Director Jukka Keronen from the Finnish HIV Center.
In Finland, the international World AIDS Day will be commemorated with concerts, in addition to which there will be commemoration, discussion and information events held all around the country. Find your nearest event at www.maailmanaidspaiva.fi
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For further information, please contact:
Director Sini Pasanen, HivFinland, tel.+358 (0)044 5544 556, sini.pasanen@positiiviset.fi
PARTNER study: Aurora Hospital Head of Department Dr. Matti Ristola matti.ristola@hus.fi and Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Jussi Sutinen jussi.sutinen@hus.fi
Communication Manager Vilma Pietilä, Finnish HIV Center, tel. +358 (0)400 241 465, vilma.pietila@hivtukikeskus.fi
Communications Officer Mari Mäkinen, Finnish Red Cross, tel. +358 (0)20 701 2223, mari.makinen@punainenristi.fi
World AIDS Day is an opportunity to raise people’s awareness of HIV and AIDS and campaign for the prevention of HIV infections and the rights of people living with HIV. The themed day has been held around the world since 1988. Finland’s World AIDS Day Committee includes the Finnish HIV Center, HivFinland, Seta, Suomen HIV/aids-sairaanhoitajayhdistys, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, the Finnish Red Cross, Pro-tukipiste and the Family Federation of Finland. The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
The World AIDS Day animation was designed by dynamo&son and created by Anima Boutique and Humina.