World AIDS Day

AIDS.
If you asked me 20 years ago, I would say "I've heard of it."
If you asked me 10 years ago, I would say "I've wrote about it."
If you asked me 5 years ago, I would say "I've friends who're living with it."
If you asked me now, I would say "I'm working with them!"

As a member of the public, I grew up reading the word AIDS and the news & stories about those who were infected and affected.
As a journalist, I wrote about the topic, I interviewed the experts and the patients.
Until I became an AIDS/LifeCycle participants, I get the first chance to know and interact more with the positive people, on a more personal level.
And when I became a healthcare interpreter, I have the chance to know even more about their health conditions and their lifestyles.

So many people have been infected and affected by HIV/AIDS over the 30-year period. For those who are infected, it's not the end of the world, but certainly his/her world has changed forever. Dealing with medicines and their side-effects/complications are among the major challenges. Not to mention about stigma and emotional impact. And for their loved one, it wasn't any easier.

While we're still in search of the cure, prevention and protection is very important. I hope that we get to say goodbye to AIDS in our lifetime. The sooner the better!