Ladies and gentlemen, I choose not to remain silent...HIV & AIDS is real!!! For many years we have been hearing of this deadly virus but I ask myself, why is it not ending?? Could it be ignorance? Is it arrogance? We can't continue with the 'business as usual' approach and as a result, I would like to urge you all my dear brothers and sisters to be very wary and avoid being victims of what you already know. Take note that even if you are already infected, it’s not the end of the world; you can even live a longer life as there is hope through faith, also AR treatment and positive living will also help so do not despair.

The most common ways HIV is transmitted is through anal or vaginal sex or sharing drug injection equipment with a person infected with HIV, it is important to take steps to reduce the risks associated with these. Some of these steps are as follows;

* Abstain from sexual activity or be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.

* Get tested and know your and your partner’s HIV status - Never indulge in sexual activity with anyone before HIV testing, no matter how you trust him or her or how healthy they look. Looks can deceive you!!!!!

* Use condoms - Use a condom correctly every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

* Limit your number of sexual partners - The more partners you have, the more likely you are to have a partner with HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease (STD). Both of these factors can increase the risk of HIV transmission. If you have more than one sexual partner, get tested for HIV regularly.

* If you have HIV, you can get medical care, treatment, and supportive services to help you stay healthy and reduce your ability to transmit the virus to others.

* If you are pregnant and find that you have HIV, treatments are available to reduce the chance that your baby will have HIV.

* Male circumcision - has also been said to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from women to men during vaginal sex.

* Do not inject drugs - you should get counselling and treatment to stop or reduce your drug use. If you cannot stop injecting drugs, use clean needles and works when injecting and don’t share them.

* Obtain medical treatment immediately if you think you were exposed to HIV. Sometimes, HIV medications can prevent infection if they are started quickly. This is called post-exposure prophylaxis.

It is my hope that this will help you and me as we work towards alleviating this deadly virus.