World AIDs Day - Dec 1

World AIDS Day observed on every year on December 1st. WHO established 'World AIDS Day' in 1988.

Few Facts

• Only in 1985, first antibody test was available.
• June 2001, UN General assembly special session on HIV/AIDS convened.
• 189 member countries of UN signed the declaration of commitment (june 2001) [16 yrs what did these countries do? ]
• Globally, around 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS (2007)
• Annual number of NEW infections have declined from 3.0 million (2001) to 2.7 million (2007) [in 6 years its only 0.3 million decline,good but not very impressive tho]
• Overall, 2.0 million people died (2007) when compared to 1.7 million (2001)
• Sub-saharan africa is home to 67% of all people living with HIV.
• Women account for half of all people living with HIV worldwide.
• young people aged 15-24 account for 45% percentage of HIV new infections worldwide. [swaziland tops this list followed by south africa and zimbabwe, india being listed last]

HIV transmission

HIV can be transmitted mainly through 3 ways,

1. Sexually
2. Through blood
3. mother-to-child transmission

HIV Prevention

* Spread awareness about HIV/AIDS on "how it can be spread".

• Media Campaigns
• School Education etc

* HIV Testing and counselling

* Treatment (antiretrovial treatment)

Sexual transmission

- Abstain from Sex or delay first sex (45% of young aged between 15-24 are HIV infected )

- Be faithful to one partner or have fewer partners

- condomise (male & female condoms are available in markets)

- STDs be effectively treated

There is a social stigma around this diseases, SEX being one of the reason for being infected by this disease. Lack of Awareness about the disease and about safe behaviours spreads fear among masses about this DEADLY disease. Following are some of the cases, I personally know.

Case 1: First case of AIDS reported in my village, couple died of AIDS. Husband working as a lorry driver brought this disease to his wife as well. Both are no more. In my village, nobody seems to be bothered about it at all.

Case 2: A priest died of AIDS recently. He was my junior in Seminary. He got it from Thailand, and spread it among Estate workers in Sengottai (TN).

Case 3: Group of college students had been to Goa on pleasure trip, ventured with women.Among them was a First timer,who inspite of using condoms got infected on the only time he had pleasure with women. He finally have to pay a heavy price for act. He died within a year of infection.

வாழ்க்கை - காதல், ஓடிப்போதல், கல்யாணம் - (பாகம் ஒன்று)

"இது என்னுடைய முதல் தமிழ் பதிப்பு, தயைகூர்ந்து பிற மொழி படிப்பாளர்கள் பொறுத்து அருளுங்கள் "

-- This is my first post in TAMIL, other language readers please bear with me

என்னுரை

"காதல்", "ஓடிப்போதல்,"கல்யாணம் " பற்றி எழுதுவது என்று முடிவு செய்தாகிவிட்டது, ஆனால் எங்கிருந்து துவங்குவது பற்றி இன்னும் சரியாக முடிவு செய்யவில்லை. கதையை எங்கேயாவது துவங்கித்தானே ஆக வேண்டியுள்ளது. ஆரம்பத்தைப் பிடித்து விட்டால் மற்றவை தன் பாட்டுக்குப் பின்னாலே வந்து விட போகிறது. இல்லையா ??. கதையைப் போலத்தான் காதலும்னு நினைக்கிறேன். ஆரம்பிக்கிறது அவ்வளவு சுலபம் இல்லைதானோ?. ம்ம்ம்... கல்யாணம்? சிந்திக்க வேண்டிய கேள்வி தான்?. சரி பார்க்கலாம், நாம் எங்கே ஆரம்பிச்சு எங்கே முடிக்கிறோம்னுk...


காதலும் கதை மாதிரிதான்னு நினைக்கிறேன், எங்கேயோ எப்படியோ மனதில் முளை விட்டு, வேர்விட்டு ,மரமாகி, படாத பாடு படுத்திவிடுது மனதையும் மனிதரையும். காதல் என்னவோ கதைகளில் படிக்கும் போதும், பிறர் சொல்ல கேட்கும் போதும் நன்றாகத் தான் இருக்கிறது.


காதல், கல்யாணம் பற்றி எழுதுவதால், நான் காதலுக்கும், கல்யாணத்துக்கும் நண்பனும் இல்லை, எதிரியும் இல்லை, மனதில் பட்டதை எழுதி விடலாமே என்ற எண்ணமே மேலோங்கியதால் உள்ளே விழைவே இது. எது எப்படியாகிலும் எழுதத் தழைப்பட்ட பின்னே பின்வாங்கலாமா, எழுத நினைத்ததை எழுதி விடலாமே. எழுதலாமே !!!

காதல் பண்ணுகிற எவரும் இதனால் உந்தப்பட்டு காதல் மற்றும் கல்யாணம் பண்ணுவதை கைவிட்டு விட்டால் அதற்கு யாரை பொறுப்பேற்க வைப்பது ?. காதலையும் கல்யாணத்தையும் விட இதுவே மிகப்பெரிய பிரச்சனையாக இருக்கும் போல் தெரியுது. இது இப்போதைக்கு ஒரு பக்கமாக இருக்கட்டும். சரி நாம் பேச வேண்டிய விஷயத்துக்குப் போவோம்.

ஹ்ம்ம் ....உள்ளேசரி இப்போ நாம் உள்ளதை உள்ளபடியே சொல்லி விடலாமா? இல்லை கூட்டிக் குறைத்து சுவை மிக சொல்லலாமா? ஐயகோ! இதென்ன என் நிலை இப்படி ஆகிடுச்சே? ஏன் என்னால் இப்படி ஒரு முடிவு எடுக்க முடியவில்லை. அதுவும் காதல் பற்றி எழுதுவதிலேயேவா இப்படி? பின் காதல் புரிந்து ஓடிப்போகும் நிலை வந்தால் நான் என்னதான் செய்வேனோ? கடவுளே !! (வேறே யாரைத்தான் கூப்பிட நான்?) இப்படி நான் இருந்தால் யார் தான் என்னை காதலிக்கத் துணிவார்? . இவ்வாறு இருந்தால் ஏன் என்னை ஒருவர் காதலிக்க வேண்டும், பின்னர் கஷ்டப்பட வேண்டும்?.

' சுய புராணத்தில்' என்னமோ நான் ஒரு வகையில் ' சுயம்பு' தான். 'சுயம்' விடுத்து செல்வோமா உள்ளே? ...

Sex : transgenders and Sex-workers - Discussion

I would like to thank VijayTV for initiating this discussion on a media. I think the society slowly would understand things in the right way.

I always welcome any healthy discussion on any topics. Readers interested to hear this discussion, please do visit the following link.

http://www.thiraivirunthu.com/video/ipadikku-rose-episode-3/

I am not here endorsing anything that has been discussed but rightly endorse the initiative and courage of these participants in this discussion.Its really a welcome initiative from a media.This show is run by a transgender called "ROSE",that is also a real welcome move from TV media.

My association with transgender happened by reading a "novel written in one of the famous tamil weekly ananda vikatan in early 90's ". A novel written fully about transgender by su.samuthiram, readers if get a chance can read that novel (vadamalli). As a teen age boy, I was fully taken by that novel and shocked to know in entirety the state of these people who could neither live like MALE or FEMALE. I invite readers just to imagine what if they happen to be one among them. don't be surprised that I used to medidate on this and started believe i am becoming one. I still could feel the pain of being a transgender and being treated indifferently by the society.

Like ROSE there are many transgenders who lead somewhat decent life, but not everybody is fortunate enough to live a decent life. Everyone of them undergo highly humiliating moment in their life, thank God, they face them in one of the other way.if that is a case with transgenders in the society, one could understand the life of SEX workers. probably we fail to treat "people as people" or is it that "we fail to realize that we are human".

Whatever It may be, I welcome this initiative by ROSE to bring REAL SEX WORKERS on the show. If you carefully watch the show, you would realize there were two REAL sex workers one among them was willingly became sex worker as she liked this life-style as she says,whilst the other was forced by society. We all have our own reasons to live in LIFE.

Wish everybody realize their role and live their life happily.

your comments are always welcome.

Eleven minutes

"Life is too short, or too long, for me to allow myself the luxury of living it so badly" - Paulo coelho ( eleven minutes)

Currently I am reading (not really, mostly finding myself in a state of trance ) Eleven minutes (paulo coelho ) ,Good book, learning a lot from it, awakens me to my senses,inner feelings, contradicting realities of life, emotions (whatever you call it.)...

BTW, the book elegantly deals with the subject (subject matter?) "Prostitute" "Prostitution" and "SEX" ( 3 ezhuthu kaettae vaarthai) , a subject most widely averted coz of social stigma around it.

But this "SUBJECT" [here euphemistic usage of '3 ezhuthu kaettae vaarthai] is ubiquitous whether you like it or not. We are dealing with it willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly, everyday in one or the other form. Yes! It exists and transforms itself into many forms.

Darker side of everybody ( is it really? I don't think so...) . An expression of LOVE (is it?) widely misused, traded as a commodity. An abomination to GOD ( Who is HE/SHE?) and to Society.But Secretly worshiped and practised by everybody in many forms in each stage of our life.There is not LIFE without it. (LIFE, yes Life man!!!!).

Do we know that we are dealing with OUR OWN SELF, when we deal with SUBJECT. Every sacred scripture I have so far come across have dealt with SUBJECT. Beware of this EVIL (Is it Evil or necessary Evil?) , says each religious scripture.

IMHO, SUBJECT is widely MISUNDERSTOOD , widely MISUSED, widely OVERUSED, widely TRADED as commodity.

[More to come on this subject (should i say SUBJECT?). keep reading]

Back to the point, Paulo coelho has dealt with this subject so elegantly, bet me, it surely gonna awaken your inner self. No darker side, No gray areas, It surely gonna change your perspective on the SUBJECT. It gonna help you than harm you. so please go pick one from book store.

Thanks to paulo coelho!!!