Guitar-picker, folk artist to raise money for local families coping with AIDS
10:23 a.m. Friday, December 1, 2006
Extended video
Get more information regarding the prevelance of AIDS among the female and young population. Kasey Bowden, who works with the Douglas County AIDS Project, relays AIDS facts. Click on her photo to get more information.
Where to get help:
If you are HIV positive or have AIDS there are services in Kansas that can help. Check out the Topeka AIDS Project, the Douglas County AIDS project in Lawrence, and the Riley County - Manhattan Health Department.
Musicians are trying to make a difference for local families affected by AIDS.
Today is World AIDS Day, and in commemoration of it musicians, including The Bowdens, Andy McKee and Pastense, will perform tonight at the Classic Bean.
Nearly 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV and 250,000 to 300,000 people do not know they are infected, said Kasey Bowden who works for the Douglas County AIDS Project.
About 40,000 infections are occurring each year in the United States, she said.
In Kansas, more than 2,500 people are living with AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It's the virus that causes AIDS. HIV attacks the immune system by killing healthy cells. The body creates antibodies to try to fight off the infection. Eventually, the virus wears down the immune system. When the immune system can no longer fight off the virus, that's when a person has full-blown AIDS.
Women have cause for concern. The infection rate among the female population has been steadily increasing since 1998.
The prevelance rate amongst women in the United States is steadily growing," Bowden said. "Women are one of the fastest growing areas of population in America. In recent years, AIDs has been the number one cause of death among African-American women ages 25 to 34 in America."
Get a glance at the demographic breakdown of HIV infections on the CDC Web site.
No cure for HIV or AIDS exists. Treatment consists of a combination of antiretroviral drugs, which attack the virus. It can keep a person healthy for many years and keep them from having the symptoms of AIDS.
Bowden will also be performing tonight.
World AIDS Day Concert
- When: Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Where: Classic Bean, 2125 SW Fairlawn Road, Topeka
- Cost: Free
- Age limit: All ages
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