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The Need | LifeRise Strategy

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The Need

Prevention is critical in the HIV/AIDS struggle. In 2007, 2.5 million people in the world were newly infected with HIV (UNAIDS, 2007). 2.1 million died. The stark reality behind these statistics is that the HIV epidemic will continue to expand as long as new infections outpace the number of people newly placed on treatment as well as deaths.

Prevention is especially urgent among young people and women. Youth less than 25 years of age account for over half of new infections. Women, especially young women, are getting infected at a faster rate and there is an increasing “feminization” of the HIV epidemic.

Although the increasing availability of treatment has diminished the fear of HIV and mortality, getting infected is still a tragedy. A person living with HIV faces many difficult physical and emotional issues in the years before treatment is begun at the end stages of AIDS. Once started on treatment, it is a lifetime need requiring almost perfect compliance. Less than total adherence may cause the virus to develop resistance, requiring second-line treatments not as readily available. Treatment may have side effects and long-term complications, some of which can be debilitating and life threatening. Some serious illnesses accompanying AIDS may not be reversible with treatment.

For all these reasons, it is imperative that LifeRise AIDS Resources does all we can to help individuals understand their vulnerabilities and protect themselves and others from the transmission of HIV.

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LifeRise Strategy

Empower at All Levels of Avoidance

Individuals may act to prevent HIV for a diversity of reasons. One hierarchy of response is that people avoid HIV infection at the following levels:

• Primal – deep fear of the physical, emotional, and social adverse effects of this disease
• Compulsory – threat of legal action or punishment
• Contractual – reward through incentives or benefits
• Transformational – informed by worldview, beliefs, and values
  

To save lives, LifeRise AIDS Resources will empower individuals to avoid HIV using interventions at all these levels. We will communicate a warning about the long-term implications of this deadly disease so individuals will have a healthy fear (primal). We will attempt to influence policy and legal structures to help people reduce their individual risk (compulsory). LifeRise will establish support systems at individual as well as church and community levels (contractual).

Transformation

Most of all, LifeRise will strive to help individuals prevent HIV at the transformational level, as we believe protection at this level to be most effective and sustainable. At this level, individuals are internally rather than externally motivated to avoid infection. They will continue to practice healthy behaviors even if the threat of HIV seems to disappear or they do not experience an immediate tangible benefit. At this level, they will choose risk elimination rather than merely risk reduction. They will seek to protect not only themselves, but also others, and will work to change their families, communities and cultures. If their transformational response proceeds out of a personal, love relationship with God, their desire to please God and do what is morally right will extend to other areas of their lives.

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