ST. LOUIS – World AIDS Day events were held over the weekend in St. Louis around the international day of observance, Dec. 1.
From the “On The Road to Zero” seminar and panel discussion at the Missouri History Museum to church services and concerts throughout the region, the day remains a reminder that HIV/AIDS is still with us.
Aaron Laxton and Phil Gill spent the better part of Dec. 1 in The Grove displaying a large red ribbon banner, the symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness. They were joined by Leon Braxton (as Dieta Pepsi), Executive Director of The LGBT Center of St. Louis, who passed out condoms, lube and safer sex materials.
First held in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. It is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to honor those who have died from AIDS. There are currently an estimated 34 million people living with HIV and more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007 have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in human history. World AIDS Day is important because it acts as a reminder to world that HIV has not gone away and that with awareness, education, advocacy and research a cure is possible.
