World AIDS Day: Awareness Through a Growing Epidemic
By: Ananda Rochita
Updated: December 2, 2012
FREDERICK, MD - It was a sea of red and voices of hope all for people who have or died from AIDS.
"People who are infected and their families are just like anybody on the street in fact if you meet them on the street you're not gonna be able to tell," says Bob Rice from the Frederick Church of the Brethren.
Ride works with people who have the HIV virus at the Frederick Church of the Brethren and sees a glimpse into the pain some of the people go through daily. It's why he's at Baker park with other people in red to remember the millions of people who died from the disease.
Maryland ranks in the top three states with AIDS cases in the country, and they're bringing an awareness to it by giving out brochures and bracelets to people passing by.
This year's observance was also to encourage people to get tested. The first symptoms of early HIV infection is similar to the flu and can be overlooked especially this time of year with the flu season upon us.
"This has been around since the 80s and probably it's just not as important to some people and the fact that there is a great stigma around it is that people don't want to talk about it and it's easy to push on the back burner," says Rice.
"People who are infected and their families are just like anybody on the street in fact if you meet them on the street you're not gonna be able to tell," says Bob Rice from the Frederick Church of the Brethren.
Ride works with people who have the HIV virus at the Frederick Church of the Brethren and sees a glimpse into the pain some of the people go through daily. It's why he's at Baker park with other people in red to remember the millions of people who died from the disease.
Maryland ranks in the top three states with AIDS cases in the country, and they're bringing an awareness to it by giving out brochures and bracelets to people passing by.
This year's observance was also to encourage people to get tested. The first symptoms of early HIV infection is similar to the flu and can be overlooked especially this time of year with the flu season upon us.
"This has been around since the 80s and probably it's just not as important to some people and the fact that there is a great stigma around it is that people don't want to talk about it and it's easy to push on the back burner," says Rice.
