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Translation of Arabic sentences:

“B3id el sharr: God forbid!

Sayer bi zahi2 hal TV: TV is so boring lately

Sketo Naji tole3 ma3o sida. la2to mnel philipiniyye: Rumour has it that Naji is HIV positive! He caught it from the domestic worker at his house.

Lah ya 7aram ya Rosanne. Shou hal ossa!: Oh no! Poor Rosanne.. What a disaster!”

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So, today is World Aids Day 2009. In Lebanon, sex and all its derivatives are still rather taboo subjects. Besides, the not-so-alarming numbers of HIV-positive people makes the issue not-so-alarming comparing to other political or social problems. However, why wait until it is spread like in some other countries? The increasing sex-tourism approach to Lebanon, combined with the very high lack of STD awareness in Lebanon (mainly due to non-secular school systems) AIDS is very vulnerable to spread, and to spread fast. Let us not forget to raise awareness about it everytime we get the chance.

Other Lebanese bloggers on World Aids Day:

• Café Thawra

• Chantal

aids, awareness, beirut, campaign, hiv, hiv positive, Lebanon, neswen foron, reporter, salon, tantet, TV, women, world aids day