World AIDS Day 2003- 1st December 2003
In my time-zone it's already the 1st of december, and so it's already World AIDS Day again.
Do you wear a red ribbon? I will. Show your awareness of HIV and AIDS. Wear a Red Ribbon
More than 42 million people have the disease.
Do you use a condom?
What do you think about AIDS? Will it affect you? Does it already? Do you know someone who has HIV/AIDS? Do you think there will be a cure?
2001 and 2002 showed an increase in new diagnoses in Switzerland of up to 25%
UK follows with the highest number of new diagnoses in the UK ever.
http://www.worldaidsday.org/
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Do you wear a red ribbon? I will. Show your awareness of HIV and AIDS. Wear a Red Ribbon
More than 42 million people have the disease.
Do you use a condom?
What do you think about AIDS? Will it affect you? Does it already? Do you know someone who has HIV/AIDS? Do you think there will be a cure?
2001 and 2002 showed an increase in new diagnoses in Switzerland of up to 25%
UK follows with the highest number of new diagnoses in the UK ever.
http://www.worldaidsday.org/
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Comments
lotta ribbons....no action.
www.aids.org
www.unaids.org
www.aegis.com
Governments need to do more to address this tragedy.
People need to know what risks they face.
Fellowship
Originally posted by groverat
America does nothing to help the AIDS situations. America actually drops AIDS bombs on baby milk factories.
groverat for the interest of good will could you not have done better?
Defiant has raised a very sensitive and troubling issue and I for one commend him and would expect a higher level of discussion. Even in AO.
Fellowship
Originally posted by Defiant
Do you use a condom?
What do you think about AIDS? Will it affect you? Does it already? Do you know someone who has HIV/AIDS? Do you think there will be a cure?
HIV has affected me all my sexually active life. When I was 15, the newspapers broke stories about the "modern plague" projecting deaths in the millions for the end of the century.
The conservative government then discussed plans to quarantine infected persons but in the end, they went for a condom-promotion campaign. Looking back, this was rather brave as the minister for family and health had to appear in public waving condoms. She looked a bit unhappy
Yeah, I use condoms. I am quite strict about it which has astonished some women over the years. But, seeing how many would happily let me fvck them without, I rather use them for my own good.
Yeah, there will be a cure. Medicine has made huge strides over he last 20 years in containing the virus in the body. Granted, this is still far from a cure, but has improved the situation of the infected very much. Sooner or later, we'll see a vaccination or a cure - but I fear it is going to be later than sooner.
I hope my children will be able to see sex as a source of joy and a way to express themselfes, no longer a potential encounter with a deadly disease. But I am not holding my breath...
But even without vaccination it's possible to stop aids from spreading, with better prevention and curing the majority of people. HIV is a fragile virus, that's spread not that easily.
The main problem is that it affect poor countries, where people do not recieve the proper cares. In Mozambic the current life expectancy is 41, but it will be reduce to 27 in the next decade if nothing is done.
Originally posted by Defiant
Do you think you can't get Aids?
Well, the chances of me getting AIDS are pretty damn close to 0.
Anyway, sorry for the cynicism. I didn't mean to take it out on you, but it's just a combination of pessimism about the problem and the feeling that lots of celebrities see AIDS as some kind of publicity opportunity for themselves - the ribbons and concerts and all.
I'm pessimistic because, although AIDS is really, really hard to get, and if people would change their behavior we could virtually completely eradicate AIDS without any vaccinations or cures, it just doesn't happen.
How do people who believe in the power of "personal responsibility" account for AIDS? People know they can die if they engage in behaviors X, Y or Z, and yet those behaviors don't decrease.
It's just too depressing. How do you change behavior? Especially behavior that is so motivated like sexual behavior? The threat of a long and painful death doesn't even seem do it.
Originally posted by BRussell
How do people who believe in the power of "personal responsibility" account for AIDS? People know they can die if they engage in behaviors X, Y or Z, and yet those behaviors don't decrease.
*shrug* humans are more than spirit and will, we are another animal species. Sex drive is - like eating or drinking - one of the most basic impulses. I see people screwing around as no more special than overweight persons. There are situations where we are no longer rational - and personally, I don't think this is bad at all.
Waiting for people to change their sexual behavior is nice, but fruitles. But we have the technology to eradicate virii and we should use it.
Originally posted by BRussell
It's just too depressing. How do you change behavior? Especially behavior that is so motivated like sexual behavior? The threat of a long and painful death doesn't even seem do it.
Unfortunately the chances for me of getting aids are not zero, due to my job.
And for the behaviors : you are right. If it was the case nobody would smoke either. And for sex, using condoms is a good advice, althought that a virgin forget often to protect him or her.
Originally posted by Defiant
How is that in the USA? Is there a national program? Do you get learn about this at school?
Yes, in both Junior High School and in High School we have Health class which teaches about HIV/AIDS and STDs. In addition, the class also teaches about "safe sex" and the use of condoms whenever sexually active to potentially prevent the spreading of any disease. Taking this class and passing it, is actually a requirement for graduation at my school.
Originally posted by BRussell
Well, the chances of me getting AIDS are pretty damn close to 0.
That's the ignorance speaking. Not directed at you, I accept your apologies, but I mean this one in general.
People think that everyone else can get AIDS, just not them themselves.
And there lies part of the problem. A married father who goes to prostitutes may think: "I live a good life. I go to church, I'm married, I have kids, I can't get AIDS." Do you see? If people think like this (some do), this will get pretty nasty.
The other thing with behavior: When AIDS first cropped up, a volunteer group here in Switzerland saw that they couldn't forbid sex itself to stop AIDS. They had to find an other way. So they thought that all that was needed, was to make the existing "traffic" safer. That meant to always use a condom.
And that's a pretty simple rule. Smircle for example is very strict about it.
If you want to stop AIDS, or not get AIDS in the first place, use a condom. It's as simple as it gets. One Message.
The sad fact is that much of the spread of AIDS in Africa is not in the least bit due to sexual carelessness. The latter is mostly a Western problem (transfusion of AIDS-infected blood is still an outside possibility, as is transmission through birth).
I believe people have modified their behavior to account for AIDS, more in the homosexual population than in the heterosexual - straight people still seem to think that they can't or won't get it from sex.
Originally posted by Defiant
That's the ignorance speaking. Not directed at you, I accept your apologies, but I mean this one in general.
People think that everyone else can get AIDS, just not them themselves.
And there lies part of the problem. A married father who goes to prostitutes may think: "I live a good life. I go to church, I'm married, I have kids, I can't get AIDS." Do you see? If people think like this (some do), this will get pretty nasty.
The other thing with behavior: When AIDS first cropped up, a volunteer group here in Switzerland saw that they couldn't forbid sex itself to stop AIDS. They had to find an other way. So they thought that all that was needed, was to make the existing "traffic" safer. That meant to always use a condom.
And that's a pretty simple rule. Smircle for example is very strict about it.
If you want to stop AIDS, or not get AIDS in the first place, use a condom. It's as simple as it gets. One Message.
I think BRussell was speaking of he and his sexual partner both only having sex with each other while engaging in no drug use that requires sharing of any blood.
Now you are right that one party could betray the other and cheat. However I think most marriages have assumptions that the parties involved honor their vows. It is possible but I would call it any more high risk than a condom that could tear.
Nick
Originally posted by Amorph
Or, if you're in Africa: If you want to stay free of AIDS, make absolutely sure the well-meaning people running the free health clinic either dispose of used needles properly or boil the heck out of them.
The sad fact is that much of the spread of AIDS in Africa is not in the least bit due to sexual carelessness. The latter is mostly a Western problem (transfusion of AIDS-infected blood is still an outside possibility, as is transmission through birth).
I doubt it. I'd bet the majority are still sex related. I know there's some debate about what's causing it in Africa, but I think the consensus is still that it's ~90% sexual behavior. The difference in Africa is that it seems to be mostly heterosexual sex.
Originally posted by Defiant
That's the ignorance speaking. Not directed at you, I accept your apologies, but I mean this one in general.
People think that everyone else can get AIDS, just not them themselves.
And there lies part of the problem. A married father who goes to prostitutes may think: "I live a good life. I go to church, I'm married, I have kids, I can't get AIDS." Do you see? If people think like this (some do), this will get pretty nasty.
You can get AIDS from prostitutes? Shit! And here I thought I was safe!
I have mixed feelings about the whole "anyone can get it" line. I know that was important to the gay groups in the beginning when it was seen as only a gay disease, but then Ryan White got it and all of a sudden, "anyone can get it." The thing is, that's misleading, because really, not anyone can get it. Only people who engage in certain behavior can get it, or at least with only a very few exceptions. It's OK to say anyone who engages in certain behaviors can get it. But don't say "anyone can get it" as if it just randomly strikes all people equally.
It's hard, because you obviously don't want to stigmatize sick people, but on the other hand, you want the link between behavior and HIV to be absolutely clear to everyone. So how do you do that without kind of stigmatizing people who got it by engaging in those behaviors?
Originally posted by BRussell
So how do you do that without kind of stigmatizing people who got it by engaging in those behaviors?
You give them alternatives that work. Pulling off a Jukebox Hero (if you still remember him) and telling people to stop having sex before marriage or outside wedlock ain't gonna work.
Tell them to use condoms, to test regularly (I try to have one HIV test per year). And make sure the health system in your country is up to snuff, checks blood donations and does not reuse scalpels and needles.
And invest research for a vaccination or cure.
Originally posted by BRussell
You can get AIDS from prostitutes? Shit! And here I thought I was safe!
There are prostitutes who do it without. $50 more.