HIV and adoption

When I signed up for my breakout sessions for the Created for Care Retreat, I skimmed right past the "HIV and Adoption" one. I had no need for that information...it would never pertain to me!

We had a PJ Panel on Friday night where 5-6 "seasoned" adoptive mom's welcomed any and all questions from the other 250 of us! It was an awesome evening of learning, but one thing that I realized then was that I knew NOTHING about HIV and adoption. Really...I knew nothing about HIV...and I was quietly ashamed.

I tried to push it out of my head that night, tried not to feel guilty about the "it's someone else's problem" mentality that I was desperately wanting to feel...but I couldn't.

So, Saturday afternoon, even though I had signed up for a different break out session, I walked into the "HIV and Adoption" room...and realized that, although only 25 women had registered for it, well over 50 women ended up filling the room to capacity. We heard from 3 women: an adoptive mom, Susanne (maybe better known as co-founder of 147), and Dr. Susan Hillis, leading HIV researcher for the CDC.

Here are some of my notes from this session:

• No one can catch it through regular family life. (shaking hands, hugging, kissing, sharing toilets, drinking fountains, doorknobs, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.)
• You would have to rub gaping, bleeding cuts together for over an hour in order to pass the infection.
  
• The only ways you can catch HIV are: 1. Having sex with an infected person. 2. Sharing needles with an infected person. 3. Being exposed (fetus or infant) to HIV during birth or through breast feeding.
  
• HIV can not live long outside of the body.
• There is far less chance of getting HIV from coming in contact with an infected person's blood (for example cleaning an HIV kids cut, or taking care of their nose bleed) than there is for an accidental death from: swimming, horseback riding, backyard trampoline and car accidents.
  
• You are 287 time more likely to be STRUCK DEAD by LIGHTING than to accidentally contract HIV in a household setting.
• The life span of a person with HIV is "very close to normal - well into their 70's".
• An infected person can marry someone who is HIV negative and never give it to them as long as they always wear condoms.
• An HIV positive woman can have a baby and not give it to them as long as they take medications during their pregnancy and opt for the safest birth option. (Just like having herpes.)
• An HIV positive woman can not breast feed.
• HIV medications are taken twice daily.
• HIV medications are covered by insurance (most) and cost around 130.00 a month.
• HIV is more manageable than diabetes!
• You do not have to disclose your (or your child's) HIV status.
• AIDS is the number one killer of women around the world.

The simple fact is that if no one shared needles and everyone wore condoms, the HIV epidemic would disappear!

Wow.

Listen to these stats:

In 2009:
There were 163 million orphans in the world. There were 33 million HIV cases in the world. There were 25 million kids orphaned due to HIV / AIDS. My own opinion: What happens to the orphans in the world who aren't adopted? Most are released onto the streets (in any country) to fend for themselves. I would venture to say that the large majority of those kids will go looking for the love they've always been lacking in all the wrong places...
20 - 40% of the kids who are orphaned today will become HIV infected when they hit adolescence. (fact) That is 33 million kids who are becoming HIV positive! That means that number of the HIV people was just DOUBLED!!!

People are afraid of people with HIV.
Let's face the facts.
They are today's Lepers.
But Jesus heals the Lepers...and we are the hands and feet of Jesus.
Jesus loves the kids with HIV...

and we need to too.

Check out Project Hopeful for more information.