‘Asia Against AIDS: Back To Zero-Indonesia’ is getting more serious! I can tell you… Last night was the first time for us to have a real talk and meet one of the famous indie bands from Bali, called GEEKSSMILE. GS is what they usually call a punk rock group, which is famous for its explosive stage antics and their interest in social issues, which they translate into theme songs with subjects ranging from politics to the environment –and also HIV/AIDS. These guys are amazing because they really care about what happens around them, not only in Bali but also Indonesia in general. 

Memeza is a dynamic and versatile South African Choir formed in 2005. The choir is made of melodic singers, vibrant dancers and drummers bringing out a spectacular African show which gives a new meaning to the traditional choir performance. Memeza was formed as a project to address social issues through music and dance. The purpose of the choir is to articulate the voices of people in South Africa and through choir they sing about their fights against poverty and HIV/AIDS. At the time this video was shot, the group was doing promotion and presenting their powerful new show 'Mandela in Me', which celebrates the life of the late world icon and carrying his messages of forgiveness, love, peace, and tolerance around the world.

A  couple of days ago the choir held a show in Luna Park, Melbourne (Australia) with a true fusion of South African spirit and culture, amazing vocals and dance moves as well as their traditional drums. Their amazing performance that combines both original local and international songs made the audiences aghast and left them emotionally charged.

Just like them, you can also show your fight against HIV/AIDS. You can’t sing/dance or are not confident enough to do this kind of thing? Well, you’ll always have our website, Facebook page and Twitter that contain information about HIV/AIDS, which you can share with all of your friends, to keep both them and yourself happy and healthy. Let’s fight against HIV/AIDS together!

Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/australia-plus/2015/05/26/paduan-suara-afrika-selatan-suarakan-hiv-dan-aids-di-australia?page=1

Watch their practice during a visit to ABC in Southbank, Melbourne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQvSv9ozTF8

Although HIV and AIDS gets more and more attention, there is still ignorance about who gets it and how people get it. A second problem is the stigma around it and the fear to talk openly about having HIV.

HIV/AIDS is a spectrum of diseases ranging from an initial infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that eventually degenerates into full-blown Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). By destroying the immune system, HIV gradually interferes with the body's innate ability to fight against infections and cancers.

A few days ago was Europe’s biggest HIV/Aids charity event, namely the Life Ball. It was the 23rdedition of the life Ball and was organized on the magenta carpet at the City Hall Square in Vienna. Gold was the order of the day and celebrities, models and drag queens galore arrived decked out in glittering frocks, chains, headpieces and body paint to enjoy décor and performances inspired by Viennese Art Nouveau.
 

Charlize Theron and Sean Penn presented the Africa Outreach Project, which aims to curtail the spread of HIV Jean Paul Gaultier, who made his legendary debut at the Life Ball 20 years ago, presented a gender-bending retrospective.


Watch the video and experience the magic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx0T-UVdaeQ

 

Greater Than AIDS, an HIV/AIDS organization based in US, is a leading public information response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Their top doctors, Dr David Malebranche and Dr Demetre Daskalakis, will now answer all your questions about HIV, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and more, in a very exciting way! Yup, they starting a new YouTube series that is called #AskTheHIVDoc. The doctors provide the answers to common questions from young people about HIV and sexual health in a frank, no nonsense style. Their job is to make us feel comfortable talking about HIV and sexual transmitted infections because, as they say: “We have no shame about it and so you shouldn’t have any shame about it.” Check out their videos and if you have any questions to ask them, use the hashtag #AskTheHIVDoc on social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I have to agree with them that the most important thing is our sexual health. Keep it healthy and safe, guys!

Check the HIV Docs out here: 

Total cases of HIV/AIDS in Yogyakarta have been increasing year by year and in 2014 there were 802 people infected by the virus, two-third of them male. According to Mr. Kaswanto, Secretary of the AIDS Commission in Yogyakarta, the total percentage of men is 65%, while 11% are housewives. Men tend to have a negative attitude such as being unfaithful to their partner more often, so they have sexual intercourse with other women, which sometimes causes them to get infected with the HIV virus.  This is why the total percentage of housewives infected with the virus is quite high- in fact 90% of women infected with HIV in Asia are housewives who get infected by their husband or steady partner. While prevention of HIV transmission has been taught in schools ranging from Junior and Senior High School to universities, most housewives have not been reached with these safe sex messages.

It’s clear that sex education is much needed; not only for young people but also for married couples, so that we can fight new HIV infections together. Although what a married woman should do when she suspects that her husband also has sex with other women is not quite clear- if she suggests to him to start using condoms, this might lead to a mighty row in the household. But in our opinion this is still better than getting infected with the HIV virus. Knowing the facts is good for everybody’s health!

May 1st is known to  be a May Day or Labour Day and in many countries –such as Indonesia- it’s a national holiday. The day originated from the trade union movement to celebrate the economic and social success of the workers.

Every year on May Day, workers take part in demonstrations, where they voice their aspirations. This year in Makassar, sex workers participated to the May Day demonstration to defend their rights regarding their job. They demanded to be given a health service by the companies that hire them, because that is a right for all professional workers and they are also aware that the chance of them getting infected with the HIV virus while doing their job is high. Andri, division coordinator for ‘Education and Organization’ for an Institute that accommodates sex workers named ‘Global Inclusion Makassar AIDS Protection’, also told us something interesting and worrying: if sex workers contract the HIV virus, the company where they work, fires them on the spot. Andri thinks that sex workers need special laws for their job to protect them in a better way. Every job has different consequences and it’s important for us to know that.

Just like sex workers know that one the consequences of their job is protecting themselves from getting infected with the HIV virus and other STD’s. Remember that it’s not just sex workers who have that risk: all of us who have unprotected sex can get infected. Please stay safe, always.

Get to know more about HIV by visiting our website www.indonesiaagainstaids.com

Source: http://news.okezone.com/read/2015/05/01/340/1143312/pekerja-seks-juga-aksi-may-day-tuntut-payung-hukum