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MTV will present a special on
December 1 at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, which profiles three young people who
are HIV-infected. MTV hopes that the special, “I’m Positive,” will become a
regular series. In the 30 years that HIV has existed, the virus that causes
AIDS has gone from a death sentence to a chronic condition that can be controlled
with early detection and a drug regimen; however, many are worried that some
people are not taking the condition seriously enough. According to Drew Pinsky,
one of the producers of the show, even if HIV does not develop into full-blown
AIDS, there are still questions about the long-term health implications of
living with HIV and the drugs that are taken to control it.
The three profiles presented in the
program reveal a generational divide. One of the three subjects is a California
girl who feels in control of the situation in spite of her infection, while
another subject’s mother is distraught and thinks her daughter is dying because
her single, Southern daughter became infected through one instance of
unprotected sex. The third profile subject, a male, has a difficult time
telling his family that he is HIV-infected, since he had only revealed to them
that he was gay one year ago.
MTV has successfully used
documentary-style programming to effectively reach its young viewers with a
message; its programming on teenage pregnancy is a prime example. Pinsky
declares that young people can relate to peers who are struggling with the HIV
problem. MTV originated its “safe sex” campaigns in 1985, and has been working
with the Kaiser Family Foundation since 1997 to encourage youth to get tested
for HIV. Two in five people infected with HIV each year in the United States
are between the ages of 13 and 29—MTV’s target audience. More than 1.1 million
Americans are living with HIV infection, according to the CDC.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
