Never Surrender
is right... Just make sure you are taking care of
yourself. So many people rely on you and the impact
that you make on their lives. You are an amazing man.
~ Stacy
Bob,
It is truly an honor to become your friend. You have
opened my eyes to the truth about
HIV/AIDS.
You're a true inspiration to me. Thanks again.
~ Alex
Twenty
years from now
you will be
more disappointed
by the things
you didn't do
than by the
ones you did
do. So throw
off the bowlines.
Sail away from
the safe harbor.
Catch the trade
winds in your
sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain
For many grown
men in their forties, a birthday
may not seem like that big a deal.
While I remain a kid at
heart,
it is the sheer reality that I have
survived living with a supposed
death sentence for over two decades
that lends great reason to celebrate.
While I've never envisioned myself
as 'dead,' I truly never in my wildest
imagination would have thought I'd
be here today. I was diagnosed with
HIV/AIDS before there was even as
much as a single medication to treat
the virus. Battling through debilitating
side effects, opportunistic infections,
heart disease and such, it truly
came down to one day at a time,
which has led me to this very moment
that I write this. If not for the
outpouring of love and support I've
received from all who have blessed
my path in life, there would indeed
be no 44th to celebrate. So, not
only is it a joy to celebrate my
birthdays as a 'grown man,' it also
brings me far more joy to celebrate
your love, the triumph of the human
spirit and the power of compassion!
Thank you to those who came to my
three celebrations and showered
me with love and generosity. Thank
you to my family for their unwavering
love, generosity and support!
It is without a doubt a
fantastic voyage! Your compassion
truly humbles and sustains me!
An estimated 2,174 young
people received a diagnosis of
AIDS (5.1% of the estimated total
of 42,514 AIDS diagnoses), and 232 young people with AIDS died.
African Americans were
disproportionately affected by HIV infection, accounting for 55%
of all
HIV infections reported among persons aged 13–24
Sexual Risk Factors
Early age at sexual initiation.
According to CDC’s Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS), many young
people begin having sexual intercourse at early ages: 47% of
high
school students have had sexual intercourse, and 7.4% of them
reported first sexual intercourse before age 13.
HIV/AIDS
education needs to take place at correspondingly young
ages, before young people engage in sexual behaviors that put them
at risk for
HIV infection.
The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA)
is the oldest national AIDS organization, as well as the
first network of people living with HIV/AIDS in the
world. We believe in making a difference in the lives of
our constituents. We do this by:
•
providing information and resources;
• telling our collective stories in HIV from the past,
present, and future;
• and being the trusted independent voice of people
living with HIV.
NAPWA (National
Association of People Living with AIDS) and POZ Magazine
are announcing a bold new initiative called The Denver
Principles Project. The Denver Principles Project will
recommit the HIV community to the Denver Principles and
dramatically increase NAPWA's membership. With a vastly
increased membership, NAPWA will be better able to
advocate for effective HIV prevention and care as well
as to combat the stigma that surrounds HIV and impedes
education, prevention and treatment of HIV.
![people living with HIV]AIDS education prevention survivor public speaker survivor Bob Bowers](http://www.onetoughpirate.com/images/people_living_with_hiv_aids/people_living_hiv_aids.jpg)
