Is Annie Lennox HIV Positive?
Annie Lennox Is Not HIV Positive
According to an account on the EW.com, Annie Lennox is not HIV positive. The shirt that she wore when she appeared on the April 21, 2010 episode of "Idol Gives Back" which is what piqued interest in her HIV status was worn by Lennox as a means of showing "solidarity" with the millions who are HIV positive. Lennox wore her "HIV Positive" t-shirt at least on two other occasions. She wore it to the 2009 EdinboroFestival of Politics and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert. Lennox has been a noted AIDS activist for some time.
Why Did Lennox Wear an "HIV Positive" T-Shirt?
Annie Lennox explained in an article that appeared on EW.com that she first saw someone wear an "HIV Positive" t-shirt during her 2004 visit to South Africa. The singer found the idea of the t-shirt "brilliant" and decided to wear one herself. T-shirts like this help to normalize diseases like HIV, which has had a huge stigma surrounding it. The stigma associated with HIV has kept many who are HIV positive from testing or getting treatment.
HIV & AIDS in America & the World
HIV was first identified in the United States in 1981 and since that time, it is believed that over 500,000 have died from AIDS in the United States. According to the CDC there were an estimated 468,578 people living with HIV in the United States at the end of 2007. HIV and AIDS have had a much more devastating effect in other places of the world, most notably Africa. There are several Sub Saharan African countries with incredibly high rates of HIV. In Zimbabwe, for example, the rate of HIV infection in adults (2008) was estimated at 24%.
I applaud Annie Lennox's symbolic t-shirt and give her much credit for raising awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Sources:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/22/annie-lennox-hiv-positive/
http://www.avert.org/usa-statistics.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_HIV/AIDS_adult_prevalence_rate
Published by Joyce Carole
Joyce is a former marketing professional and aspiring freelance writer. She holds an MBA degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Degree in Marketing from Robert Morris University. Joyce has worked for... View profile
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