6,000 Children Will be Orphaned By AIDS Today. Could you love one?

Today is World Aids Orphan Day!

Today, 6,500 people will die as a result of AIDS.

6,000 of those people will leave behind children.

Those children will join the already 15 million children who have lost parents to this treatable disease.

2.3 million children are infected with HIV world-wide.

Most pediatric infection occurs in mother-to-child transmission - the virus infects while the immune system is immature, making it easy for the virus to disseminate through the body.
It is estimated that, without treatment, 50% of HIV+ children in resource-poor settings will die by the age of two

In 2010, the number of children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to reach 25 million – equivalent to the number of people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 15 million children have been orphaned by the pandemic. Interested in helping Aids Orphans in Africa? Here are some websites to check out. They are orphanages that care for hiv orphans and help find then a forever home.

www.ahopeforchildren.org

www.lolachildrensfund.org

www.fayaorphanage.org

Here's a short clip of the movie "Tiny Tears" a documentary of HIV orphans from Brazil, Thailand, Uganda, and the United States. It's so interesting that this problem is so widespread- yet not really talked about!

Here are some faq's about HIV taken from the "From HIV to HOME" website at http://www.fromhivtohome.org/ Many people don't know much about HIV, and really don't understand why we would want to contribute to the adoption of an HIV+ child. Did you know that HIV+ children can live long, healthy lives when they are given the proper treatement? I truly didn't know any of this information until I visited an HIV orphanage 2 years ago. Since then I've learned a lot! We're so in love with our little girl and had such a wonderful adoption experience that we'd love to help other families along the way, so that they can experience the miracle of adoption whether the child is HIV+ or not! Every child in the world deserves a family.

But isn't HIV contagious?

HIV is a very fragile virus, and there are very specific ways that it is transmitted. HIV is only transmitted when the virus enters the bloodstream. This only occurs through sexual contact; through the use of contaminated needles or other sharp instruments, or receiving a transfusion of HIV-infected blood products; and from a mother who is HIV-infected to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, labour and delivery, and breastfeeding. HIV transmission does not occur with normal household contact. It is not transmitted through tears, saliva, mucous or other bodily fluids. It is considered a "communicable" disease - meaning you can't simply "catch" it. In addition, when an infected person is on treatment, the levels of HIV in the blood are brought so low that they are considered undetectable - meaning the possibility of transmission - even through contact with blood, semen, or vaginal fluid - is that much more remote.

Aren't these children going to die after their families bring them home?

Many people don't realize that the prognosis for children on treatment for their HIV is excellent. They are expected to live long, normal lives. In fact, in the west, HIV is now considered a chronic illness rather than the terminal disease it used to be. Sadly, this isn't the case for those HIV infected children living in resource-poor settings, where 50% of infected and untreated children are not expected to live past the age of two.

Is it true that you can have HIV and not develop AIDS?

Absolutely! There are over 20 medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV, and more are in development. These medications bring the levels of the virus so low in the body that the virus can be considered undetectable in the bloodstream. Patients receiving treatment for HIV can expect to live long, healthy lives without developing AIDS.

What about all of the children who don't get adopted?

We recognize that adoption is only a band-aid answer. It is one small piece in a big puzzle - we seek to partner with organizations providing holistic, sustainable care for HIV+ orphans in-country.

What if I catch HIV from an infected child?

Many people don’t know that HIV is a very fragile virus. As soon as it leaves the body, it begins to die. There are no documented cases of HIV transmission through casual household or school contact. HIV+ children can (and do!) share cups, baths, pools, dishes, bathrooms, etc.! In addition, when children are on treatment for their HIV, the amount of the virus in their bloodstream can be brought so low that it is considered “undetectable” – meaning the amount of the virus in the blood, even through contact with blood, has been brought so low that the possibility of transmission has become even more remote.