Today, Dec. 1, marks World AIDS Day as well as the final day of Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week and the first day of Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week.

These are important days and weeks because although HIV/AIDS has been around for years, there are still many misconceptions about the virus. 

For example, people think there is a cure, but there is not. People think it’s associated mainly with the gay community, but, in reality, there are more women and children affected by the AIDS pandemic than gay men.

People think HIV/AIDS can only be transmitted through unprotected sex, but it can also be transmitted through injection or transfusion of contaminated blood, through semen, skin grafts, organ transplants, the sharing of unsterilised injection equipment or, if a mother is infected, it can be transmitted during pregnancy, at birth or during breastfeeding.

“It’s staggering what little knowledge people have,” said Andrea Watson, executive director of HIV West Yellowhead, while recounting the many misconceptions surrounding HIV/AIDS with Karly Savoy, the organization’s prevention and education co-ordinator.

“Having this week, for us, it’s our week where we get to talk about it and it’s not scary,” said Watson. “It gives us an opportunity to raise awareness about our agency and HIV in general.”

To get the public’s attention, Watson and her group of board members and volunteers have solicited the help of local business owners. They have asked that businesses decorate their front window displays with red AIDS awareness ribbons and red merchandise.

Along with the red-themed displays, there are also informative posters that address some of the misconceptions around HIV/AIDS, while also providing contact information for health care providers and HIV West Yellowhead.

The Other Paw Bakery, Coco’s Cafe and the Candy Bears’ Lair will also be baking red ribbon-themed goodies to help with the awareness campaign.

HIV West Yellowhead is an organization that provides support and education to the residents of Jasper, Hinton, Edson and Whitecourt. 

Watson said often people think HIV is something that doesn’t affect them, that it’s something limited to third-world countries, but the numbers show that it’s right here in our country and our province.

Since testing began in 1985, there have been a total of 5,237 positive HIV tests in Alberta. 

And on the national scale, the numbers continue to rise on a daily basis. 

According to the HIV and AIDS Surveillance Report 2009, at the end of 2009 there were 69,844 positive HIV tests in Canada, since 1985. 

As part of HIV West Yellowhead’s awareness campaign, Savoy will be travelling to all four communities giving HIV 101 workshops. 

She will also be presenting Hot Topics for Girls at the McCready Centre in Jasper on Dec. 6, as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign that is currently underway.

She said it’s important for adolescents to attend presentations like these because information about HIV/AIDS isn’t something that they receive anywhere else.

“It’s not something that’s typically taught in school,” she said.