Ask anyone here in Mwanza and they’ll tell you that HIV AIDS has changed their city. Judith is a single woman has two children (15 and 21) and she is HIV+, and today we’ll be in her backyard from where she’d like to talk to you about attitudes towards people with the virus in your country.
Everyone here knows someone who has died because of the virus, and the number of street children who beg, eat and sleep on the pavements of downtown has surged as parents die young. Turn on the radio and more than half the adverts are about HIV, encouraging young people to have sex when they feel ready and to use a condom when they do. But these adverts also focus on the stigma of not just having the virus, but even going and getting tested.
Judith and many other people here have been telling us that there remains a stigma that comes with HIV that makes dealing with it much harder. Families, neighbours, friends and colleagues can change their behaviour towards you. Some ever see it as punishment for careless sexual behaviour. And this, they say, can have a devastating effect on the support and treatment that they receive.
Others though, including the leading doctor on HIV in the region, say HIVAIDS is now much more accepted, and that many Mwanzans who are positive can live a normal life amongst their community. He’ll be on the show.
Judith would like to know from you how people with HIV are treated in your country, whether attitudes are changing and what impact these attitudes and beliefs about HIV can have on the lives of the people who have the virus.
A small group of Mwanzans who are either HIV+ or work with people who are, will be gathering in Judith’s yard to talk about this and they’re very keen for you to join them and share your experiences.
So please take them up on the invite, either on the blog now or by the usual means during the show.
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BBC World Have Your Say 
Well, lets not forget that HIV/AIDS is a deadly an contagious disease, so of course it will carry a stigma, everywhere, as others wont want to catch it. I remember years ago, the case of Ryan White, a kid who got AIDS from a blood transfusion because he was a hemophiliac. He basically died because someone else was irresponsible in their life and donated blood. People would protest him returning to school and was given only a 6 month prognosis to live but lived 5 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_White
Hi Ros! today’s topic is very interesting because here in Tanzania(not only mwanza!)everybody is surrounded or works with HIV/AIDS people. Actually it is becoming more easily to stigmatise these people because people have become very much aware of the clinical presentations(signs and symptoms) of the disease AIDS fact which leads people into stigma easily as the number of HIV/AIDS people is becoming bigger and bigger within all societies(rural as well as urban).In Zanzibar stigma is even worse as some employers there(in zanzibar)dont employ people from the mainland(hoteliers/bar attendants)for fear that they may be carrying HIV.In zanzibar some HIV/AIDS victims dont go to hospitals for ARV treatment or VCT services for fear of stigma from medical personel who may reveal their status to the public as gossip is extremely prevalent in zanzibar.But stigma(in the mainland)seems not to be a problem in the working offices (government or private)because there are regular sensitization trainings on HIV/AIDS at work places which have greatly reduced the stigma problem.This(stigma)problem here in Tanzania (and may be africa)seems to be more prevalent with laymen (un educated people)who think that one can get AIDS by touching or even talking to HIV/AIDS victims.
Hi my dearest Ros and hi Judith my love… Actually if you were HIV positive and living in Iraq, then (and my hands are shaking as I am writing the next words) you’d better dig yourself a tomb and bury yourself in it for good ! HIV positive in Iraq is unfortunately a disgrace and a source of huge shame to the patient him/herself and also to his/her family… Actually the number of HIV positive cases in Iraq is so small… And the way HIV positive patients are treated in my country doesn’t surprise me at all… After all my Iraq is a country where normal people do never get their full human rights properly, so how is it gonna be like for HIV positive patients ???! Ah Ros and Judith, this topic has really hit a nerve… With my love.. Yours forever, Lubna..
@BBC WHYS
Judith would like to know from you how people with HIV are treated in your country, whether attitudes are changing and what impact these attitudes and beliefs about HIV can have on the lives of the people who have the virus.
Ans:
HIV is mostly percieved as the result of sexual acts unacceptable for a society. So, a person having HIV+ is considered to be extremely corrupt morally. Therefore such a person is hated more for his poor morality rather than having disease. In Muslim countries like Pakistan you can’t imagine to live normally having HIV+.
A person having this disease finds himself in a deadlock where only option for him is to spend life like a sin.
yes being hiv positive is stigma in nepal.once these people get ill it is very difficult toget people admitted and there is discrimination by hospital staffs.
I think in the US a lot of people are ignorant of what the disease actually means. As Steve mentioned, in the Ryan White case people are clueless as to how the disease is truly passed, etc.
Unfortunately, I don’t think things are much different in the US than they are in Mwanza in terms of treatment of the subject. I think a lot of Americans view HIV AIDS as the consequence of promiscuity or the outcome of being a homosexual. While neither of these views are particularly sympathetic and are certainly hurtful, it does bear repeating that HIV AIDS is a truly preventable (in almost all cases) illness – particularly in the US.
My country Uganda has had a success story in dealing with HIV/AIDS. We have learnt to be open about the issue by telling young people to abstain from sex until they are married. Most of the stigma though is not on people living with AIDS but those who have chosen to abstain from sexual activity or be faithful in marriage
David
Kampala Uganda
yes! it does have a stigma if you have “HIV”…
the thing is you can not catch it like a common cold if you get close to them.
dennis
onondaga community college
syracuse, new york
united states of america
For an HIV+ person in Uganda to face stigma will actually depend on setting whether rural or an urban area,and also if the people around are quite knowledgeable about HIV.
An HIV +person is likely to suffer extreme social stigmatisation in rural areas because community believes its a disease for sexual deviants.
While in an urban area one is bound to suffer slight stigmatisation if any because theres increased awareness about HIV/AIDS, education makes a difference in how people relate to an HIV+ person.
Personally, i would want to discriminate against them because this is critical point in their where need love and acceptance above anything to enable live a fulfilled life
In Austria it is still a big stigma, regardless of what the media or politicians tell you. Nobody with the infection will admit that he’s HIV positive. Here in Belgium it’s just the same. I’ve met many people, but supposedly never a sick person.
Sure there still a stigma about those who are HIV+. I had a friend once who was HIV+, when he became ill I would visit him the hospital. The one reaction I did NOT expect was the reaction I got from some people who, when it was learned that I was visiting someone in the advanced stages of the disease, was when they would physically take a step backward from me. That was incredible! If HIV were that easy to catch we would all have it.
Hi Ros,
In Kenya it is not a good idea to broadcast to everyone that you are HIV positive. But the good news is that societal perceptions have greatly changed and Aids is being accepted as a a disease like any other and is increasingly becoming manageable. The stigma still exists but gradually people are accepting as a fact of life and only in extreme cases do we hear of people behaving badly towards infected people.
Judith, when i was in Uganda, having HIV was quite normal and everyone cared obout the HIV patients coz atleast everyone had lost a relative to HIV before. But here in Egypt, the story changes, if u are found HIV positive and u are a foreigner, immediate deportation is give and if u are a local, u are chained on a hospital bed till u die. Its a sorry state that keeps people in moral line now. love you all my brothers and sisters in East africa.
Hi, Ros and Chloe my dear presenters!
i think todays topic is real moving and brought at a time when HIV AIDS is the talk of the day in Africa, the stigma in patients and dependants and the general public is not a case to overlook.
the moment the patient starts loosing weight, muscle wastage you dont even want to interact and mix with people, infact you go to certain places, segregation of oneself takes place…… what a stigma.
above all, people tend to take the patients as ones who were certainly involved in unsafe sex, worse enough is when if the patient be it a man or woman, find it to have gotten the disease from hallots!….. again what should i say……
Ros! we should tell people to practse safe sex and sexual behaviours and try to be faithful to our marriages or else the stigmas will haunt us.
lastly, AIDS KILLS and has NO cure!
we should accept the victims and try to bring them close and lessen thier burden of self stigma.
Steve:
Well, lets not forget that HIV/AIDS is a deadly an contagious disease, so of course it will carry a stigma, everywhere, as others wont want to catch it.
I think thats all that really needs to be said on this one.
I think the real question is, is it ethical and humane to apply the stigma and also the accompanying discrimination to those with HIV / AIDS? Also how can we remove that discrimination while still acknowledging that the person has a contagious (to an extent) disease that is certain to reduce the quality of life for the individual and the life span, dramatically.
Sad but true, the thinking of people (no matter they are educated or illiterate) still didn’t seen changed. Yes being HIV +ve everyone can get ready to face discrimination in Nepalese society.
In Morocco, AIDS is on the increase despite the health campaigns. It is rampant in tourist cities like Agadir. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people in Morocco are infected with HIV, compared to 600,000 people who are infected with other sexually transmitted diseases.
It costs almost nothing to use a condom for safe sex, but negligence costs the patients sums of money they can’t afford to stay alive the longest possible time.
The slogan, “don’t have sex without condom, don’t share needles” seems easier said than done in the face of mounting cases, especially in Africa. But there is still hope to save potential AIDS victims through concentrated efforts on the parts of governments, NGO and World Health Organisation.
AIDS patients need social and medical support to live in dignity. They shouldn’t be treated as outcast, totally isolated till they die.
I’m curious why AIDS gets so much attention. There are other diseases that are just as deadly, if not more deadly, as they can kill quicker, that don’t get much at all attention, such as Malaria. Also, certain kinds of cancers, such as Breast Cancer, have all these media campaigns, races for the cure, when there are more deadly forms of cancer that kill more people that get virtually no attention. Why?
hello Judith: here in Portland, OR is Quest Integrative Health Center. My former psychologist and Lucas (who did die of AIDS) founded “Project Quest.” About 15 years ago. Specifically to serve the HIV/AIDS community in this City. So early on, I was aware of the “myths” which surround this communicable disease. And as part of the community, friends with many. Dr. Lusijah Marx, Ph.D is known world wide for her work in healing and visualization. What I notice is that many of the blog entries don’t mention, as I am sure you are aware, that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence and life can be lived with medications, nutrition, exercise. Etc. The Health Center is in my neighborhood now and I see people on the street or in the local
Starbucks who I know from earlier times. These days the people I meet, who may or may not have, AIDS don’t say. In any case, it is not a problem for me. And there are many activities for people who are open about AIDS and treatment facilities.
From general health statistics and media, I do know that AIDS is more prevalent among African/Americans and when in Hispanic communities is more stigmatized than in the general population.
I hope that answers some of your questions about life here in Portland, OR/USA.
Virginia
I don’t really know anyone who has aids/hiv, or more likely I don’t know that someone that I know has it… but its not something that comes up very often here in rural Iowa. I guess one of the benefits of living in a backwater, is that you miss some of the bad things as well as the good things in life.
@ Justin
They probably just haven’t admitted to it. Apparently 20% of the population has herpes, yet how many people do you know who have told you they have herpes?
@ Ross,
This time you’ve got all the Africans Talking. HIV is a big issue for us. I notice that the bloggists from the western world are not as informed as the africans on this issue.
Any condition that marks you as being ‘different’ or ‘inferior’ or ‘less than’ the people around you leads to stigma. HIV has been and will always be stigmatising. Acts of Stigma are what is often refered to as discrimination. The people that stigmatise PHAs most are the PHAs themselves. They develop internal/self stigma. They see themselves as ‘less than’ ‘different from.’
@ Brenda, am not sure which rural parts of Uganda you know, but the truth is that stigma is higher among the ‘rich’ (read urban dwellers) than among the poor (read rural dwellers)
The country with the lowest level of HIV stigma is probably Uganda. We talk freely about our HIV status. This does not mean that there is no stigma. It only means that stigma has reduced significantly.
@ all. In some places africa, Its best if you shut up about you hiv status. I lost two uncles in a space of 3 weeks to hiv/aids, in the period before they passed on, virtually every family member deserted them except I and a few other enlightened family members. After the burial, people kind of diplomatically avoided us. I really didnt care.
Hello,
I am from Canada. Although I cannot speak for the attitude of my country, I can speak for the attitude of myself. I think it is unfortunate that there are still misunderstandings among people about how HIV/AIDS can be spread. People with this disease are not ‘dirty’ or ‘bad’, and I would like to think that if people received better education on the subject then perhaps there would be more acceptance for those with the disease. Of course, individuals who are educated about how the disease can spread should take the necessary precautions to prevent contracting the disease, especially if they are in a relationship who has tested positive.
Many of the comments listed above talk about how a person with HIV/AIDS who has contracted it through unsafe sexual intercourse accepted the risk and so accepts the consequence. I remember very clearly in my sexual education class in elementary school how the teacher took ten people from the class, had them stand at the front and gave each a hypothetical situation from which they had all contracted HIV/AIDS. The lesson was twofold: how HIV/AIDS is spread, and that not a single person in that group, whether they contracted it from sex, or blood, etc. DESERVED to have gotten the disease. She taught us the importance of realizing that people with HIV/AIDS are no different than anyone else and should be treated with the respect we all deserve.
I was tested for HIV about ten years ago. I was born very prematurely and had several blood transfusions. At this time, there was an inquest taking place about a large amount of tainted blood that had infected people. Both mine and my mother’s tests came back negative. Thankfully today (for the Canadian Red Cross at least) every bag of blood donated is automatically tested for HIV/AIDS. In addition, they have created a system for people who may have the disease (or any other disease that would make them ineligible to donate) to save them the embarassment of admitting it out loud during the routine questionnaire (have you been out of the country, done drugs, etc etc.) The person is given two stickers with bar codes. If they know of any reason why their blood should not be used they stick that barcode to the bag. Otherwise they put on the other barcode. They do this in private in a booth so it’s confidential. When the blood goes to the lab, the barcode is scanned. Bags with “DO NOT USE” barcodes are disposed of.
I would hope that education and awareness would be a good step towards reducing stigmas surrounding people with AIDS. In my opinion, everything possible should be done to ensure this education is received.
@ nelsoni. In Uganda today it is a great shame to shun a relative who is HIV+. There is a general compassion for people living with HIV. I think we need more Ugandans/East Africans to visit the countries that still have high levels of stigma. Yes stigma still exists, but PHA are more accepted.
@ Steve, “I’m curious why AIDS gets so much attention. There are other diseases that are just as deadly, if not more deadly, as they can kill quicker, that don’t get much at all attention, such as Malaria.”
Malaria is still the number one killer in Africa. however, HIV is the number one cause of adult deaths. It cuts short the lives of people in the prime of their lives. It kills the most productive members of society. In my village, the first casualties were 10 young men over a one year period. They had good jobs in the city and their incomes were very vital to their families, siblings and the village as a whole. The whole village mourned their deaths with great pain.
Steve, malaria has never taken so many young men. I only know of one old man who died of malaria. malaria steals our children. That is why we get many children, so that a few remain after malaria (and other diseases) has claimed many.
Dear BBC,
The issue you have brought is a critical one and many people in our country Zambia and including many parts of the world though it is being reported that stigma is dying rapidly the reality on the ground is that it is still nourishing our societies. The HIV/ AIDS stigma will never completely die out because often a time when one is heard or suspected to have been infected with the virus society becomes self reinforcing in shying away from that person because it is always associated that the individual infected has not been of high moral conduct or has been misbehaving.
The NGOs globally dealing with issues to do with advocacy in the removal of the stigma of HIV/ AIDS infected persons may proclaim that the stigma aspect is reducing in our communities but essentially these sentiments or documentations are aimed at just tallying and justifying the expenditure that was earmarked for these activities to their financial funders. The issue here should not be whether the stigma is there or not but the reality, fair and justifable thing to do would be for the world to stop using the HIV/ AIDS as a sector that is capable of creating and sustaining employment and swiftly move towards discovering the cure, or unearth it where it is being hiden if at all it is there. The artificial puzzle the world keep exposing itself to by not discovering the cure for HIV/ AIDS will inevitably germinate a spiral virus with multiple complex problems that no world budget allocation or strategy will ever eliminate it. The challenge for us now is to focus our attention on discovering the cure for HIV besides we have so many problems at hand e.g. global food shortages, unecessary wars, political instability, global human selfishness, trade imbalances.
My other observation in the fight against HIV /AIDS is the issues of uncordinated effots in all the relevant stakeholders i.e. governments, NGOs, Churches and including us individuals who are all at risk of getting the virus. We need governments and other stakeholders to effectively work together and fight this vicious animal HIV/ AIDS that is ravaging our innocent and guilty citizens in our respective countries. The governments world over MUST Pass a LAW that requires that all PUBS or BARS or anywhere beer is sold CONDOMS are stocked this is because if you were to take a random check in your cities, towns or even shanty enclaves most of these places Condoms are never stocked despite them being priced. We must break this SILENCE too because it is in these places where the prevalence of the Virus is deep rooted.
I hate the HIV/ AIDS and l think this is the DEVIL on earth so lets seriously pray for its quick elimination and rebuke it. I also want to recommend that manufacturing companies of ARVs and Condoms must open subsidiary companies in Africa because this the continent that earnestly need these products in abundance. The existence of the NGOs that focus on HIV/ AIDS programmes and multinational companies the produce ARVs and condoms if they do not wish to work towards finding the cure then l dare you my reader and them (NGOs) to challenge me if l conclude that their efforts are not genuine and are there to support their self interests! I am also challenging Bill Gates why are you investing in finding the vaccine for HIV/ AIDS at this time over 20 years since the virus was discovered and when the world is desperate for a Cure? Bill Gates must be realsitic on the issue of HIV/ AIDS and remove thoughts of unscrupulous enterprenuership strategies and look at humanity necessity and sustainability of life. If your (Bill Gates) computers can detect a virus and instantly kill it, why then can’t you think of applying the same concept on biology? I hope this issue can have a forum for serious, overty and more realistic debate and not the recent show cases l have heard and seen about HIV/ AIDS all centered on justifying for extra undertaking request for funding, which have never yielded any beneficial strategies.
Regards,
Kelvin Kamayoyo
+255765869373
@ Melanie
I completely agree that we need better education about the disease and how it is spread.
What makes me sick about people’s reactions/opinions on HIV/AIDS is especially prevalent from what we in North America call the religious right. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen some fat, white televangelist with a Bible talking about how HIV is God’s punishment for homosexuality. Or it’s God’s punishment for sex before marriage. Or it’s God’s punishment for not being a ‘good, clean Christian.’
Take 3 minutes and I bet you can think of a dozen other ‘reasons’ for HIV. It is ignorance and idiocy like this that causes such a huge stigma.
Education is always the best way to change minds and opinions. There is an HIV+ fellow who is an activist and student at my University. He has become a fixture of our library, and when he is absent people start to get concerned for his welfare. Nobody cares that he’s gay, nobody cares that he is HIV+. The man is a human being with a family and people that care about him.
Another point: this is a deadly disease (and either an epidemic or pandemic) yet I do not feel that there will ever be a ‘cure’ for HIV. This is because most medical research is done by drug companies. In the world of public companies, the way to increase your share price is to attract more business and sell more stuff every quarter than you did the previous quarter. For the time being that is all that Wall Street cares about: the bottom line. Why would a drug company cure a disease for $100 a pop when they can get you on pills/treatments for maybe $10 a pop but for the rest of your life? It doesn’t make good business sense, and it sickens me. The culture of drug companies needs to shift away from ‘making money and selling pills’ towards one of ‘what is for the public good’ before we will ever see substantial real progress instead of stop-gap measures.
Lastly: I was watching a show on either Discovery Channel or PBS last year and it mentioned that a small fraction of the population carries a mutation in their CCR5 gene, called the Delta32 mutation. This mutated version of the gene produces malformed CCR5 proteins, which are useless as HIV coreceptors. If you have 2 of these delta32 mutations you apparently CANNOT contract HIV. Does anybody know of any research being done in this area?
The reason for stigmatization of HIV positive people is because of poor information management. When the disease first surfaced, if the information about it had being properly managed by telling people the truth and separating facts from fiction, stigmatization would not be a big problem. Now the damage has being done. Every stake holder is now playing catch up in the area of stigmatization and will continue to do so for a very long time to come.
I completely agree that we need better education about the disease and how it is spread.
What makes me sick about people’s reactions/opinions on HIV/AIDS is especially prevalent from what we in North America call the religious right. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen some fat, white televangelist with a Bible talking about how HIV is God’s punishment for homosexuality. Or it’s God’s punishment for sex before marriage. Or it’s God’s punishment for not being a ‘good, clean Christian.’
Amen!
The idiot-right have done little to facilitate HIV understanding on a cultural and societal level.
@ Shaun
I wondered if you were going to bring up the CCR5 gene and I’m glad you did. I think this is an important documentary that others might be interested in. I’ll post the link here:
http://www.guba.com/watch/3000101947?duration_step=0&fields=23&filter_tiny=0&pp=40&query=secrets%20of%20the%20black%20death&sb=10&set=-1&sf=0&size_step=0&o=0&sample=1215619110:cfa82508756e0101335864ac5fcd5cda2bef4ae0
@ Brett
But maybe they have a point? If you compare the HIV rates of homosexual vs hetereosexual males, the difference is huge.
@ steve, with the point you just raised, there’s a great danger of straying from the main topic.
Sadly yes. In Mexico is still a stigma being HIV positive. However, I think the perception is slowly changing, especially in big cities.
The government, since the outbreak of HIV in the late 80s, has been doing some reasonable campaigns to prevent the spread of the disease. I remember being a 9 or 10 years old when I heard for the first time the world SIDA (AIDS in Spanish) at a broadcast in national television. Lately, they have been doing campaign to reduce the discrimination against people carrying the disease at the workplace and at schools.
However, AIDS is spreading in small towns where migrant workers are from. Some of them have contracted the disease in the U.S. and have infected their wives upon their return. Recent Mexican studies have shown that one of the groups with major risk of contracting HIV is married women in monogamous relationships (on their part of course, not their husbands´). By Mexican standards, the fact that men cheat on their wives or partners is not regarded as something “that bad”. It is somewhat acceptable. This is the reason why women usually do not demand the use of condom by their husbands; they usually turn a “blind eye” on their infidelities. Sadly, they are also turning a “blind eye” on the diseases that they could contract.
@Steve~~
Here’s the answer to your question of why AIDS is more critical and “gets more attention” than malaria or breast cancer: It’s a CONTAGIOUS DISEASE, as you seem to know, though you’re a tad fuzzy on the specifics. Malaria and breast cancer, and heart disease and other “killers,” are NOT contagious. Hence, AIDS is an epidemic and the other things are not. Epidemics by definition are hugely dangerous and require the most urgent intervention, because they SPREAD.
Make sense?
Also a few other little details, like it’s fatal, it’s incurable, it strikes the most productive people at the most productive time of life, it’s spread by behaviors that every society hates and scorns, so honest discussion or education is nearly impossible, it has a years-long incubation period during which one is contagious without exhibiting any symptoms or knowing one is even infected, etc., etc.
@ Jonathan
If everyone were responsible, there would be no spreading of HIV. Yet there would still be millions of malaria and cancer deaths per year. So again, I ask, why does AIDS get so much attention? Cancer cannot be cured either, you can treat it, remove it, but it can and does come back. You can no more cure cancer than you can fix an arm by amputating it. You remove it.
HIV is spread through irresponsibity, by unsafe sex practices and from drug needles, and the few people that recieve tainted blood in transfusions, which is an absolute tragedy. You cannot get AIDS from shaking someone’s hand, so it’s not freely contageous like the flu is, and I’m pretty sure the flu kills more people anyways. Do you know what happened in 1918? The flu killed more people after WW1 than people were killed fighting in WW1!
So why is HIV getting all this attention when there are more serious illnesses out there and HIV could be stopped in its tracks if people would do the unthinkable, act responsibly.
Hi Luz Ma! Great point about the “marital double standard” being yet another “unmentionable” behavior that permits HIV to spread.
It’s as if the thing knew exactly how to prey on human society’s weakest points, the dirty little secrets done in the darkest corners, under cover of superstition, denial, and bigotry.
The only chance we have against it requires us to be honest, forgiving, and understanding. Hmmm…. in that sense, it almost could be a lesson sent by a very stern Heavenly Headmaster, but the lesson is the exact opposite of what’s imagined by the self-righteous religious bigots and the occasional blog habitue. .
So how’s that new job coming along?
@ Steve
You’re forgetting, my friend, that using condoms is a SIN! It kills God’s creatures. Or something like that. Everybody KNOWS the only way to prevent the spread is to only have sex for making babies.
*this is sarcasm, by the way.
Religious guilt or belief is a HUGE barrier to education. Especially in countries where church/mosque and state are too close for comfort. What is it, only in the last 10 years or so the Vatican finally said condoms are okay? But only if you are already married. Authorities need to realize that no matter what you tell people, no matter how you try to scare them, HUMANS WILL STILL HAVE SEX. It’s fun, makes you feel good, and of all the things you can possibly do to someone, giving them an orgasm has to be near the top of the ‘best’ list. Sometimes, those in authority need to take off the rosey glasses and get a good look at what’s happening outside their ivory tower and come up with practical, logical, sensible solutions. Like free condoms and sex education.
@ Brett
But maybe they have a point? If you compare the HIV rates of homosexual vs hetereosexual males, the difference is huge.
But you of all people should appreciate the humor of a ‘fictional sky deity’ imposing a disease that affects all people equally and that all people can contract, creating the disease as a blight against one group of people.
The prevalence of the disease is due to the sexual and substance habbits of the lifestyles and choices of different groups of people and cultures. There is a higher instance of HIV / AIDS in blacks… Does that mean theres a point to be made that God created HIV / AIDS because he doesn’t like black people?
The point that God created the disease to affect any one group is ignorant, at best and counterproductive to education on the disease, how it is spead and how it affects people.
@ Brett
I’m not defending the point of a religious nature. I don’t care what people think some fictional book character wants. However if you still follow the advice, the HIV rates would crash. HIV is prevelant becuase people are irresponsible. Even if you believed in the no condom crap, if you aren’t promiscuous, and your partner isn’t promiscuous, you won’t get HIV.
@ steve
Isn’t there such a thing called a flu-shot? People can get them but for some who don’t, they run the risk of getting the flu. Just like people who choose to not have safe-sex and run the risk of catching an STD or HIV.
HIV/AIDS awareness is crucial because people KNOW you can’t get cancer by touching someone who has it. But people associate HIV/AIDS with contact/touching so there is a stigma that surrounds this illness. If people knew more about this rather than the sterotypical homosexual story, it wouldn’t cause so much controversy.
@Brett
I just want to remind you that there is a huge difference between being irresponsible and being uneducated.
And, irresponsible or not, no one who contracts HIV from unsafe sex deserves the cards they were dealt. No one.
AIDS gets so much attention because there is something that can actually be done to prevent it! Condoms are cheap (or free), birth control is subsidized, and education is something everyone SHOULD have a right to. Cancer, unfortunately, is not as preventable. Everyone can wear sunscreen, eat organic foods, and try not to live next to a nuclear power plant… but at the end of the day, many of the people who get cancer just have plain old bad luck. And some cancer actually IS curable. The treatment is rough, but the success rates are extremely high.
True, AIDS cannot be cured, but there are simple measures that can be taken to prevent its contraction and spread.
My apologies, my previous post was directed at Steve. Sorry, Brett.
@ Steve “HIV is spread through irresponsibity,”
That statement is extremely stigmatizing and if I were living in your community I would never tell anybody about my HIV status. Steve, I recommend that you visit me in africa and spend one month at an HIV treatment center. I offer to host you in my house. Friend, At the end of that period you will definitely have a new attitude
@ Jonathan “Hence, AIDS is an epidemic and the other things are not.”
Hey!!! In one malaria epidemic around 1996/7 in Uganda, over 200 adults died in one district. Malaria is endemic in most of Africa and sometimes we get waves of epidemics. HIV is not just an epidemic, it is now a Pandemic. Am afraid it may soon become endemic.
Being are pretty scare of AIDS,HIV in my country Nigeria.And also pretty scare of any who becomes unfortunate to be infected.But also a few maintain good morality and safe medical practices to avoid.Worst still are those who still are not convinced of this deadly virus,with all the awareness campaign from the media and AIDS prevention organisation.This is quite unfortunate.Compliance to biblical morality is what where the answer lies.
Silas Okah (Nigeria)
Hi Jonathan!
I liked your line: “…under cover of superstition, denial, and bigotry.” I think honesty is the key point to prevent more speeding of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
I just learned that an old friend from grade school was infected of syphilis by her husband, who was infected by his mistress. She is pregnant with her second child and she knew she had syphilis when the results of the prenatal lab exams came up. Terrible story. She is pregnant with syphilis and undergoing a divorce.
About your question: I am starting on my new job on August. I am enjoying my last days of vacation with my girls. However, is still raining here!!! (for others bloggers: if you didn’t read Blank Page 14 you wouldn’t remotely know what I am talking about… )
@ Fae
You’re wrong about two things actually
(1) Yes, there are flu shots, and no, they cannot protect you against every strain of the flu. The people who create the vaccine just put in the most likely flu candidates. I get a flu shot every year and still wind up getting sick most years, despite having had a flu shot.
(2) True, while you cannot touch someone who has cancer and get cancer, you can get cancer from having sex with someone who has HPV. HPV can cause cervical and penile cancers. So yes, cancer I guess can be caused by skin to skin contact if you think about it.
16 years ago I received my doctorate in pastoral counseling. I was asked to counsel a man, employed by a local business, thought to be suicidal. When he came into my office I extended my hand to him, he took it and then informed me that he had HIV. I immediately pulled my hand back. I quickly reached back out, gave him a hug and apologized for my reaction. We had many beneficial sessions after that. Stigmas. Bigotry, prejudice, and ignorance are ended one person at a time. I still feel a tinge of sadness at my reaction those many years ago, but I know in Christ we are all in God’s loving heart. Mine just needed to be a little bigger.
@ melanie
I’m not saying they deserve AIDS either, but if you are speeding not wearing a seatbelt and you hit something, you are going to fly out of the car and probably die. Actions have consequences. You have to be responsible for your actions. If people are being promiscuous and not using condoms, that’s being irresponsible regardless of education. It’s the “it won’t happen to me” mentality that leads people to be irresponsible, and costs them their lives and the lives of other.
hello,
yes for sure. near our town two children who got infected from their parents are not allowed to join the schooll with other students ..as the parents of other students protested to oust them as they believe playing with this hiv positive children will infect their children too.
And the missionery school authorities in the fear that other students will buy tc from their school ousted this infected children. This controversy is still going on in our district kannur. Same case was reported in kollam other district in kollam too .
this is the same case all over india ..danger is that due to ignorance and fake beliefs some even marry hiv positive to virgins in the belief that this infected will get cured if they do intercourse with virgins ..
Hi WHYS, aids sufferers are dejected, rejected and stigmatized to the highest degree.
Ross, As you talk in Mwanza, please raise the issue of what they believe about discordance. It is a big issue now.
Just a question for all of those concerned about having a stigma about AIDS. Let’s see if you have one. Would you date/have sex with someone who has AIDS? If you are critical of there being any kind of stigma about AIDS, then you’d have sex with someone who has AIDS, right? Otherwise you are as bad as the people who wouldn’t shaked hands with someone with AIDS or wouldn’t see a doctor who has AIDS..
I just listened to the African PSA about the pregnant woman who got AIDS. She was on the phone and was talking to her friend about the results, and started crying. I’m thinking, I thought originally the guy she had sex with was probably her husband, but she said “I cannot believe I had unprotected sex with him” which isn’t something one would say about their husband. AND she was pregnant at the time as well. What kind of message is that sending out as well? I realize that’s not the point of the commercial, but it just shows about irresponsibility and getting HIV, and for the more religious types, immorality perhaps?
“HIV is spread through irresponsibity,”
Isn’t this exactly what we are talking about? Stigmatization?
@ Rev. Dr. Jesse
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. On threads and in real life I often find myself coming down hard on religion and religious people. This is primarily because in the media those who yell loudest (or have the most crazy opinions) often get the most attention.
In your posts you have expressed your opinion but have done so in the most caring and respectful manner (in my opinion). You are a person who clearly cares about his flock and about anybody in unfortunate circumstances or situations regardless of their beliefs. You are truly worthy of the cloth and I only wish there were more like you, or that they are more vocal in the mainstream.
@ Selena
““HIV is spread through irresponsibity,”
Isn’t this exactly what we are talking about? Stigmatization?”
It doesn’t make it any less true. Unprotected sex is irresponsible, no matter how politically incorrect it might be to say it. But the sky is blue, the sun is yellow as well. Are you suggesting that unprotected sex, especially if one is promiscuous, is responsible?
Are you suggested that using drugs, especially with dirty needles, and sharing them with others, is responsible?
Blood transfusions are a completely different story.
@ dear Steve
What I am suggesting, if anything, is judging does not help anyone… the judge nor the one being judged.
Truth is never anything but subjective!
@steve
I really hope I’m somehow misunderstanding you, because I’m sure you aren’t narrow and nasty and hateful.
HIV/AIDS was killing thousands of people for years BEFORE anyone knew what it was, how it was spread, anything at all about it. One can’t properly demand that people be “responsible” — to avoid certain acts– when it is not known what acts to avoid. Sex wasn’t ordinarily fatal. Even “responsible” people did it, because there wasn’t any known reason not to. Do you understand that? You surely can’t retroactively condemn people for not knowing what nobody knew. Well, of course you can, but I wish you wouldn’t.
Kindly note that it is an “absolute tragedy” when ANYONE dies of it. Not just the people who manage to be as morally faultless as you think you are. If every moment of weakness or temptation results in death, then you, Steve, will one day be all alone in the world, the only perfect person, the rest of us having fallen victim to our “irresponsibility.” I wonder if your dazzling moral splendor will be as gratifying when there’s nobody to hear you brag about it.
Yes, of course I know about the 1918 flu epidemic. And the Black Plague that depopulated Europe a few hundred years before that. Those epidemics would answer your question if you’d pay attention and not be distracted by gratuitious, erroneous, irrelevant moral judgments. Those epidemics are exemplars of exactly why THIS epidemic demands serious attention. EPIDEMIC. What part don’t you get? The black plague was, as we now know, spread by rats. Now, from a vantage point informed by many years and scientific discoveries and vastly improved standards of public health and sanitation, one could say that the people who died of the plague were “irresponsible” to live in such unhygeinic conditions. They should have been clean. If they had been clean, they would have lived. Since they were dirty, they died. Since they died dirty, they didn’t deserve to live. One could say it, but it would be ignorant and vicious. It’s circular reasoning and quite unhelpful.
Viruses don’t care a whit for anyone’s morality, “responsibility,” sexual preference, religion, or unlovely habit of blaming victims. A global epidemic that has killed millions already and keeps growing and killing more millions now and in the future needs to be slowed and stopped, because unchecked, it will kill even many millions more. It’s not a moral issue. It’s a disease.
Can you seriously be saying that you just don’t care, that the millions who die deserve to die, because they’re bad people? Steve, many of those millions are illiterate, uneducated, unaware of how this disease spreads. Some are kept ignorant by people who imagine that mere moral perfection will suffice to protect, and that having sex should reasonably be punished by death.
Do you know anyone like that, Steve?
I had a friend that died as a result of being HIV+. During his final year a task force of his friends got together to help out with his care. We took turns driving him to doctor appointments and taking him meals. Despite the circumstances it was a very enlightening experience. I also had the opportunity to get to know an amazing individual a little better before he died.
I was surprised at some of the reactions of other people when I told them that I was participating in his care. Some people would take a step back from me and others were astonished that I was not afraid of “catching it” by helping my friend.
Ignorance breeds fear.
@ Selena
What’s worse, me “judging” people’s irresponsible actions, or people dying? Perhaps if more people would judge there would be no more transmission of HIV?
I generally agree that HIV is spread primarily by irresponsibility, but I think it is important to realize how many children have it through no fault of their own.
Anyway, the virus is absolutely crazy in terms of how it fools the immune system and such. Quite a frightening disease and I am glad it cannot really be passed easily.
@Steve, My invitation to you to come to Africa still stands.
Steve, you are right on the issue of the PSA. The main challenge for HIV prevention today in my part of the world is the packaging of prevention messages. It is pathetic.
Steve dear, I work in an organisation with about 10,000 women who have HIV. typicaly (not always) such women spent the whole day at home tending kids and gardens, as the men are around the village and small towns drinking and sharing the women who sell the alcohol. These men then take HIV home to their innocent wives. These women were not in any way IRRESPONSIBLE Steve, and they are the majority of people with HIV.
Yes, there is some irresponsible behaviour along the line/web of infection, but the innocent people are overwhelmingly many.
Why is this such a problem? Why can’t people just use protection, or just keep your pants on?
@ Steve
one cannot be irresponsible if they do not know they are being irresponsible. that is where education comes into play.
I am very close friends with a man with HIV. He is a hugger, and I never feel nervous about hugging him. He is one of the finest men I know. I don’t often even think of his being HIV positive. I do worry about his health, though.
@ Jonathan
I’m not saying anyone deserves HIV or deserves to die from it, but adults realize actions have consequences. Like if I decide to walk off a cliff, I’m going to die. There is gravity and I will hit the bottom. It’s the consequence of my action of walking off the cliff. Sure, getting AIDS isn’t as certain as dying from walking off a cliff, but it’s a serious risk.
And it’s not like sex was safe before there was HIV. There are all sorts of STDs, that before there were treatments, were fatal or debilitating as well. Syphillius I believe made people lose their minds and their hearing. Wasn’t it Beethoven that went deaf due to Syphilis?
The fact remains, if everyone were responsible, HIV would virtually stop being transmitted. But it seems people are more worried about not getting offended than about saving lives. What is more important to you? Human life or fear of offending people? I think life is more imporant.
@ omun
“These women were not in any way IRRESPONSIBLE Steve, and they are the majority of people with HIV.
Yes, there is some irresponsible behaviour along the line/web of infection, but the innocent people are overwhelmingly many.”
Yes, the women are not irresponsible in your situation, but their husbands were. So they paid the price for their husband’s irresponsibility and infidelity. someone was irresponsible, and now both have HIV. That’s why irresponsibility leads to HIV. Just like with Ryan white. Someone who had irresponsible sex or did drugs donated blood, and Ryan White had a blood transfusion with that infected blood. He died becuase of someone else’s irresponsible action.
@ Steve
I think I understand where you are coming from. You are suggesting that the people themselves should not be stigmatized, but the irresponsible actions should. Obviously we should promote birth control and safe-sex practices. Yet some of your comments have suggested a ‘point and laugh at them for being dumb’ approach.
I suspect it was not your intent to portray this, as making a person with HIV feel ashamed only leads them to cover and hide their condition. As we have learned from the program, that only leads to further stigmatization and also leads to those infected being too frightened to seek treatment and help. I think what you’re getting at is that we need a two-pronged approach to the problem:
1) Teach people that having unsafe sex, using unclean needles and such is Dumb Behaviour. And instead promote safe methods.
2) While at the same time teaching people about safe practices, show care and concern for those already infected with HIV. If step 1 works, I can see how HIV/AIDS could be eliminated in a few generations, but it will only work if we remember that the people infected are humans with wants, dreams and desires not unlike our own. They deserve a chance, too.
Although those which HIV deserve our sympathy and fundign for treatment, I fully agree with banning those with HIV/AIDS from coming into the US and other countries. With every new infected person, there is a greater chance of infection. It is the duty of the government to protect its citizens, including from the effects of desease.
@ Melanie
“@ Steve
one cannot be irresponsible if they do not know they are being irresponsible. that is where education comes into play.”
So untrue. I don’t think there is a person in the US that hasn’t had sex education or has not seen PSAs about HIV, yet there are new HIV infections EVERY day from unprotected sex and drug use, yet everyone is informed, yet they still chose to be irresponsible, and get HIV.
@Steve
See Jonathan’s post…
Steve,
it’s the same with law suits agains cigarette companies for lung cancer, or McDonalds for obisity. Some people are just too stupid understand the basic concepts. the unfortunate thing is that we as society are lowering ourselves down to this level…
@Steve
Was there anyone in your school who, no matter how many times something was explained, simply couldn’t understand the subject?
Again Steve, nothing is black and white.
In Liberia, many people are now aware of this disease. When someone drastically gets slimmer, people here just automatically conclude its AIDS and they’ll start gossipping behind your back. Recently, I worked with children affected with HIV at the black gate(they were 5 yrs and under). They seemed cute to me and the only time I ever panicked at heart was when one developed sores and came to hug me. The sensitization that is being carried out by aid agencies is enormous and stigmatization is slowly drowning out.
Mmonbeydo Harrell, Liberia
People seem to be having a problem with my use of the world “irresponsible”. To those offended, I think it’s time you need to decide what is more important, saving lives, or not offending people. HIV is deadly and can be prevented IF people behave responsibly. There are plenty of people who have been educated about safe sex and “safe” drug use, yet choose to not comply with safe methods. Those people are irresponsible. I’m sorry you don’t like the word, but I’ll use it if it gets people to be responsible and lives get saved.
@ Selena
“Was there anyone in your school who, no matter how many times something was explained, simply couldn’t understand the subject?
Again Steve, nothing is black and white.”
I don’t understand why you bring this up. Are you suggesting these people be locked up if you are saying they cannot learn and those pose a risk to others?
Tino and Steve have the same style of thought.
About 70% of People living with HIV are in Africa. The pandemic in Africa is basically heterosexual and not homosexual/needle sharing. also, almost every family in east and southern africa has been affected by HIV in one way or another. I personaly meet not less than 100 people a day with HIV, most of them women. I am currently working on a project to reduce the spread of HIV among couples. Therefore the way I view things is different from how Tino and Steve iew them.
@ Jens
“it’s the same with law suits agains cigarette companies for lung cancer, or McDonalds for obisity. Some people are just too stupid understand the basic concepts. the unfortunate thing is that we as society are lowering ourselves down to this level…”
Similar, but not the same. AIDS is a death sentence, but not everyone who smokes gets cancer, and not everyone who is obese dies early, though your odds are increased. Yes, people who smoke are irresponsible, and people who eat fast food regularly are irresponsible, however it’s possible for you to smoke, and neat mcdonalds, but exercise a lot, and live a normal life span.
@ omun
If married couples in African are getting HIV, then it means one or both are cheating. So the person who is cheating has sex with a new person without a condom, and then goes back to the spouse without a condom, that’s called being irresponsible. Sure if only one spouse was cheating, the other one wasn’t irresponsible, but the cheating one was. Hence, HIV again gets spready by irresponsibility. So the responsible thing would be (1)don’t cheat on your spouse and/or (2) if you do cheat, use a condom. Because you don’t like a word doesn’t make it any less of a life saver. If people acted responsibly there would be no more transmision of HIV.
@Omunyaruguru
“The pandemic in Africa is basically heterosexual…”
That’s because the number of homosexual people is much lower than heterosexual people, the proportion among homosexuals is still much higher per capita.
Agreed with steve, take real measures instead of squabbling about political correctness, and stop this epidemic by forcibly treating individuals with AIDS like in Egypt.
@ Steve
While I may not agree with what you say I will fight to the death for your right to say it.
That being said, you’re being very severe and it is making you look like kind of a jerk today (notice I say ‘making you look like’ because I don’t think you actually are nor do I want to get into ad hominem arguments).
The truth is there are people who, despite being properly educated and aware of the risks, still choose to ignore them. However consequences are consequences and even those who disregarded the warnings should still be given the same care an attention as anybody else who contracts the virus. I sincerely hope you are not suggesting we pick and choose who is worthy of help and who is not.
That’s it for me today, great discussion and thread everybody! I’ll read you tomorrow!
@ Steve,
Your point is taken. However, countries like the United States and Canada are not free from poverty and people who are not fortunate enough to go to school. In addition, I was referring mostly to those less developed countries where AIDS is much more prevalent so it would be more likely that these people would be ‘irresponsible’ as you say as a result of lack of education. We are very privileged to have had sex education during our upbringing, but not everyone is as lucky.
@ steve,
OK, I will not go back to fighting about words. I’ll ask one question Steve; How can we go about making people more “responsible?”
@Steve
Locked up?
Please explain how you arrived at that question.
Steve ~
I agree that irresponsibility is the reason that someone contracts HIV or passes it along to an unknowing individual. The reality is there will always be irresponsible or stupid people in the world. Drugs aren’t going away, people will still have unprotected sex and “responsible” people will still be the victims of the irresponsible. How do you think this problem should be addressed?
@ Steve
“AIDS is a death sentence,”
Wrong! AIDS is a chronic disease which if not treated properly will kill like diabetes, sickle cell disease etc. Actualy, it is now more expensive to treat diabetes than to treat AIDS in my part of the world. HIV positive people struggle more with the inconvinience of taking medicines everyday than with the thought of impending death
@ Melanie
I know some very well off, ivy league educated people that are very irresponsible. Intelligence and wealth has nothing to do with being responsible.
@ Selena
I didn’t know wha tyou meant by your message, your point looked like you meant to say some people are hopeless and will not learn, so I thought then “lock them up?” I mean, what do you do with people who refuse to be responsible? People’s lives are on the line. What would you suggest?
@ Omun
If you think the drugs for HIV are going to work forever, or that HIV won’t mutate, then I have beachfront property in Arizona to sell you. HIV/AIDS is a death sentence. A virus mutates, and drugs stops being effective.
Also some forms of diabetes are weight related and you can lose the diabetes if you lose weight. So diabetes isn’t a death sentence the way AIDS is.
“How can we go about making people more “responsible?””
Education first of all, of course. I also think free clean needles is worth it. For a relatively low price, infection should go down I think. The studies, however, have yet to conclusively prove this. Best I could find:
A close examination of the manner in which these studies were conducted strongly suggests their reliance on the quality of the evidence in individual studies, which is based on the strength of their research designs. The language of the assessments also reflects the expectation that, when they are taken as a collective across studies, even though the designs are less than ideal, the preponderance of evidence will weigh in favor of or against a definitive conclusion about needle exchange programs.
Taken together, these studies tend to suggest that needle exchange programs are either neutral or positive in terms of potential positive effects and that they do not demonstrate any potential negative effects. However, each study’s conclusions are often less than firm because of its methodological limitations.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4975&page=201
I think it is kind of strange to enable users in this manner, but if it reduces the spread of HIV I do think it is worth it.
@ Asad Babyl
“Although those which HIV deserve our sympathy and fundign for treatment, I fully agree with banning those with HIV/AIDS from coming into the US and other countries.”
Very Absurd. Tell me please, How did HIV get into the United states? By air, land or sea? or other route?
When did HIV get into the US?
@ Vanessa
I don’t know how you deal with that situation if people simply just don’t care. I think in that case perhaps people who have transmissitted HIV should be put in prison if they knew and would do it again (but like you could know for sure?).
What you’re suggesting is that AIDS is just something we’re oging ot have to deal with and innocent people are going to die because we don’t have the backbone to make people stop being irresponsible.
@selena–
You asked Steve, “Was there ever anyone at your school who just couldn’t understand a subject no matter how well and often it was explained?”
Steve replied, “I don’t understand why you bring this up.”
I’m thinking that’s a “yes” then.
Steve is right. HIV mutates insanely quickly and this is why people cannot take just one drug but a regimen to hit it at differently. The virus will become resistant over the person’s life. This is how it escapes your immune system. At first, you will fight off the disease but it comes back relatively quickly and your system can no longer fight it.
“HIV differs from many viruses in that it has very high genetic variability. This diversity is a result of its fast replication cycle, with the generation of 109 to 1010 virions every day, coupled with a high mutation rate of approximately 3 x 10-5 per nucleotide base per cycle of replication and recombinogenic properties of reverse transcriptase.[60] This complex scenario leads to the generation of many variants of HIV in a single infected patient in the course of one day.[60] This variability is compounded when a single cell is simultaneously infected by two or more different strains of HIV. When simultaneous infection occurs, the genome of progeny virions may be composed of RNA strands from two different strains. This hybrid virion then infects a new cell where it undergoes replication. As this happens, the reverse transcriptase, by jumping back and forth between the two different RNA templates, will generate a newly synthesized retroviral DNA sequence that is a recombinant between the two parental genomes.[60] This recombination is most obvious when it occurs between subtypes.[60]”
109 to 1010 is actually 10^9 and 10^10. Doesnt make sense otherwise, I guess it just did not copy superscripts. Same on 3 x 10-5, should be 10^-5
@ Jonathan
“You asked Steve, “Was there ever anyone at your school who just couldn’t understand a subject no matter how well and often it was explained?”
Steve replied, “I don’t understand why you bring this up.”
I’m thinking that’s a “yes” then.”
Please re-read what she asked. She’s saying what happens if you teach someone something but no matter how many times you explain it, they just cannot grasp the concept. Say that innocent people’s lives depend on them grasping the concept, but they cannot. What do you do?
@ Steve I didn’t say Diabetes is a death sentence. I only said it is now more expensive to treat than HIV in MY part of the world.
I am very well versed with the mutations of HIV and actualy working with a drug resistance to which is caused by a K65R mutation. I also like the manner in which the American scientists are keeping pace with viral mutations. We actualy now know almost all the mutations that HIV can have and which drugs these mutations select for. Back to my earlier question which you have not answered.
HOW DO WE MAKE PEOPLE MORE RESPONSIBLE?
@ Tino,
OK, we get recombinants, say AB, and then what? What is the significance of that?
@ Omun
i don’t know how we make more people responsible, but being politically correct and thinking I’m worse for calling out irresponsible actions than for people to behave irresponsibly and infect others with a deadly disease isn’t helping for sure! Obviously society has to take some form of action, whether it be locking people up, scare tactics, anything, if it saves lives. Again, how many of you are prepared to die because of someone else’s irresponsible action? Any volunteers? So lets worry a bit less about offending people and a bit more about saving lives.
@Steve
You didn’t answer my question.
How did you arrive at “locked up”?
@ Omunyaruguru
AIDS came to the states from, essentialy Africa, by air land AND sea, spurring an epidemic in the 60s. AIDs in Russia, which did not have a case until 1983, came directly from a prostitute who had intercourse with African students. in the Friendship of Nations University.
Now, it is spreading very quickly in both of these countries. And, an African who seems to understand at least the magnitude of the problem, are objecting to forefuly treating people with AIDS, along with other deseases and keeping other infected out.
Is it better to violate some rights of a few individuals and stop AIDS, or is better to do nothing substantial to stop it?
I for one, believe in the first option. I don’t want to end up living in a country like some nations in Africa with 40% of the population infected.
@ Tino,
“HIV mutates insanely quickly and this is why people cannot take just one drug but a regimen to hit it at differently. The virus will become resistant over the person’s life.”
That is why we have first line, second line etc for treatment. By the way, normaly the mutant starins are less virulent than the non mutant strains (wild type).
OK I left science class many years back, so question;
How did HIV get into the US? or did it start from the US?
@steve,
To answer your question of a few minutes ago: If I were trying without success to explain something to someone who would not or could not understand it, I would eventually give up the effort.
@ Jonathan
“To answer your question of a few minutes ago: If I were trying without success to explain something to someone who would not or could not understand it, I would eventually give up the effort.”
If you give up the effort and do nothing to prevent those people from being irresponsible, you will only be enabling the irresponsibility, and you would allow them to kill other people. Remember, people’s lives are on the line. If some people refuse to behave responsibly, then society needs to stop them.
@Omunyaruguru
“How did HIV get into the US? or did it start from the US?”
hahahaha Are you seriously accusing the US of causing HIV? Is HIV again, a Western conspiracy to keep Africa in poverty and destitution? Perhaps the spreading of it too is not the work of irresponsible Africans, but badly-made condoms donated from Europe?
“OK, we get recombinants, say AB, and then what? What is the significance of that?”
It makes it even harder for the immune system to control the virus. It may also confer further drug resistance. HIV is by far the most incredible thing we learned about in immunology. After that class, I gained a huge appreciation for how difficult treatment, let alone a cure, is.
Steve
It’s just one person, Steve. Not people. One person, Steve, who cannot understand.
@ Asad,
Wrong! HIV never came to the US through Africa. Read a little more around the subject.
@ Steve, I have left the issue of political correctness and am onto how to reduce Irresponsibility. Am actualy very interested in HIV prevention science and I would love to hear some plausible solutions on effecting behavioural change. That soundbite we got from Tanzania is an example of prevention messages which actually promote unsafe sex. David Kimbowa higher up says “My country Uganda has had a success story in dealing with HIV/AIDS.” Again this is wrong because the earlier data on Uganda was very innacurate and from the 2005 data the infection rates have increased because of ‘irresponsible behaviour.’ Am worried because HIV may span generations. How can we make people behave more responsibly?
@ Jonathan
I’m not out there killing people, but if you want to blame me, go ahead. If I’m somehow worse than the people out there infecting others with HIV, then please tell me how terrible I am. Why don’t you value life a little bit more?
@ Tino
“After that class, I gained a huge appreciation for how difficult treatment, let alone a cure, is.”
Treatment is not difficult, but a cure is difficult. Am amazed by the scientists, they know how to handle the treatment issue.
@Steve
What does it mean, to you, to value life?
Steve, when people DO NOT KNOW HOW to avoid a disease, “responsibility” is not a relevant concept. It’s not offensive, it’s just meaningless. Most HIV is in Africa and Asia, where the level of education is much lower than the US. Given how ignorant so many people are even in this information-rich environment, surely you can imagine that illiterate people in tiny villages are often unaware of what causes AIDS. They may be, and often are, as responsible as me, or possibly even you. But that does not help them.
Responsibility is only salient when someone KNOWS the thing to do and doesn’t do it, or KNOWS what not to do but still does it. Without the knowledge, there is neither responsibility nor irresponsibility.
Are you with me this far?
@ Steve
“If you think the drugs for HIV are going to work forever, or that HIV won’t mutate, then I have beachfront property in Arizona to sell you.”
No mortal will live for ever and so the drugs don’t have to live forever.
@ Steve
“If you think the drugs for HIV are going to work forever, or that HIV won’t mutate, then I have beachfront property in Arizona to sell you.”
No mortal will live for ever and so the drugs don’t have to work forever.
Getting me beachfront property?
@ Omunyaruguru
Please enlighten me then where HIV came from then? Where did it originate? In France perhaps? In Germany? In Texas?
hahaha, come on, stop your delusions. Read something besides fiction and listen to something beside African accusations of the West for all its problems.
@ Jonathan.
I work in Washington, DC. It has the highest HIV infection rate in the USA. I have a feeling everyone has had sex education, everyone knows to use condoms, yet it has the highest HIV infection rate in the US. I have a feeling this has nothing to do with a lack of education, but has to do with irresponsibility.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062603521.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/07/hll20107.htm
@ Omun
“No mortal will live for ever and so the drugs don’t have to work forever.
Getting me beachfront property?”
Um, then why bother preventing HIV or treating it if we’re going to die anyways? Maybe it would stop the global warming crisis?
OK, I have enjoyed this one and should soon be getting into bed. My internet connection is also becoming poorer. I however still need to know how HIV got into America. Someone has an answer?
@ Steve
Alas, feelings do not make reality1!
Steve, who exactly are “those people out there infecting other with HIV?”
Do you actually imagine that one group of people is “out there infecting others” and another group is “out there” being silly and “irresponsible” enough to get it?
No wonder you don’t sympathize with them. They all seem a rather crummy bunch. But they are not the people in the real world. You have invented them. Out here in reality, people don’t want to get AIDS. You don’t. I don’t. That doesn’t make us responsible. It makes us properly selfish. If I had it, I wouldn’t want to spread it. Would you? Most people wouldn’t.
So why do you persist in arguing about phantoms?
@Omunyaruguru
I posted an answer for you in an earlier post.
From Africa.
Steve, I wasn’t talking aout the US.
You can tell that by the part where I say, “Most AIDS is in Africa and Asia,” and I go on to describe conditions there.
Not Washington. Not America. Africa and Asia.
“Treatment is not difficult, but a cure is difficult. Am amazed by the scientists, they know how to handle the treatment issue.”
It is difficult. Given enough time, it is reasonable to assume you will develop resistant HIV. This is compounded by the fact that one must always remember to take their meds and lead a generally healthy lifestyle.
O:
I know how AIDS came to America, and where it came from, but how is that instructive?
@ Asad Babyl,
I actually don’t read fiction.
Please read me well, am not saying HIV came from the west, am only asking about the path of HIV from wherever it started from to the gay community in the US causing GRIDS. Anybody out there knows?
I agree, up to a point, with Steve regarding “responsibility”.
As I said before, in Mexico (as I am sure in other countries) one of the most vulnerable groups regarding HIV infection is married women in monogamous relationships (in their part, not the husbands). The husbands have unprotected sex with other women and/or men, get the virus and then infect their wives. They are a vulnerable group because, generally, married women do not ask their husbands to use condoms (unless is for birth control purposes, which is not frequently either). I think this kind of men are the most irresponsible persons. Because, here, there are campaigns from the government regarding HIV prevention -especially in urban areas, so the majority cannot argue that they don´t know the risks.
@ Steve
“”No mortal will live for ever and so the drugs don’t have to work forever.
Getting me beachfront property?”
Um, then why bother preventing HIV or treating it if we’re going to die anyways? Maybe it would stop the global warming crisis?””
Your comment does not change the fact
@Luz Ma
Waw, Mexican women are so faithfull. It is their men who are rogues. When am ready for marriage, I come to Mexico no?
Luz Ma, heterosexual transmission of HIV is quite rare in the US. It’s quite common in Africa. I don’t know which applies to Mexico. clearly there is a lot of HIV education in Mexico. Today’s program was about AIDS in Africa. Ros was in Africa. There is not enough AIDS education in Africa. Uneducated people are not irresponsible; they don’t iknow the rules. that’s all I’m saying. Apparently I’m saying it to myself, since I see my last three posts are still “awaiting moderation,” now for 30 minutes. If I’ve broken some unwritten rule, just tell me so I will stop wasting my time, mods, OK?
@Omunyaruguru
Fine, fine there was at one time a high instance of HIV/AIDS in the US.
But the biggest epidemics are in Africa, the virus’ home.
@ Asad Babyl this one is for you, it was from reuters last year. Hope you don’t mind. I’ll try to get the link later. My connection is right now poor. Note the 99.8% probability and the 1930 year.
“”AIDS virus invaded U.S. from Haiti: study
By Will Dunham Mon Oct 29, 5:43 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The AIDS virus invaded the United States in about 1969 from Haiti, carried most likely by a single infected immigrant who set the stage for it to sweep the world in a tragic epidemic, scientists said on Monday……………
Michael Worobey, a University of Arizona evolutionary biologist, said the 1969 U.S. entry date is earlier than some experts had believed…………
The researchers conducted a genetic analysis of stored blood samples from early AIDS patients to determine when the human immunodeficiency virus first entered the United States…………….
The researchers think an unknown single infected Haitian immigrant arrived in a large city like Miami or New York, and the virus circulated for years — first in the U.S. population and then to other nations………..
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The path the virus traveled as it jumped from nation to nation has long been debated by scientists……….
The researchers virtually ruled out the possibility that HIV had come directly to the United States from Africa, setting a 99.8 percent probability that Haiti was the steppingstone…………..
“I think that it gives us more clear insight into the history of it (the AIDS epidemic) and what path the virus took — and hard objective evidence, not justarmchair thinking,” Pitchenik said in a telephone interview……….
Studies suggest the virus first entered the human population in about 1930 in central Africa, probably when people slaughtered infected chimpanzees for meat.””
Good night all. Am now off to bed. have a long day tomorrow.
@ Omunyaruguru
If you refer to an earlier post, I specificaly indicated that the virus came not necessarily directly from Africa, but it did originate there.
Where did most of the population of Haiti come from? Africa. I am also almost sure that some infected came through Europe as well. But that does not change the origin of the virus.
@Omunyaruguru
I am not saying that ALL Mexican women are faithful and that ALL Mexican men are cheaters. However, one of the most vulnerable groups in Mexico regarding HIV infection is married women who only have sex with their husbands, which are the ones who get infected by having unprotected sex with other persons. This is well-documented, I read the report a couple of months ago.
Also, Mexico is still a patriarchal society. Cheating in men is neither discouraged nor condemned by the majority. However, societal values change if women cheat on their husbands or partners. It is not the same standard for men and women, as in many parts of the world.
hello all from sunny and warm Portland, in the afternoon
have just read through about half of this blog
and the 18 wheeler in the middle of the living room is belonging to Steve and has in big bold letters, on both sides, the word RESPONSIBILITY.
What is inside that truck, Steve?
What does being a responsible human being mean to you?
For starters, for me, it means being an adult. Adults act responsibly. If I were infected with HIV/AIDS, and if I knew that I had become infected in sexual intercourse, then I would not infect others in that way. I also would dispose of my insulin needles properly and anyone who was likely to be exposed to my blood, I would inform them I had AIDS so they could protect themselves.
After a long read of “returns” (Wimbledon just over) from you, I suggest you
consider some variations and some finesse in your rhetorical style.
Selena almost got there but she then she asked one of the big questions: what does it mean to value life?
And I have a question for you as someone familiar with the law and the American judicial system: isn’t it against the law, and punishable, to deliberately infect, by sexual intercourse, another person with AIDS? Am I mixing up (TV) fiction and reality? Please advise.
Virginia
I agree. Uneducated people are not irresponsible. I think the principal risk factor regarding HIV infection is lack of sex education. Even in Mexico, where there are ok campaigns (I think more should be done), this is still a risk factor. There are uneducated people, especially in rural areas, which do not know what HIV/AIDS is.
But, I think that those who know the risks and choose to have unprotected sex despite the warnings are plain responsible of contracting the disease.
I wish the HIV virus didn´t exist, but it is not the case. So we have to deal with it. I think ignoring risk factors -among them irresponsibility- is not the way to stop the epidemic.
definately there will never be a stigma free world even in a million years to come.but HIV victims must be glad that there is life after death and so this should be an opportunity to realise that its just that they are in the eleventh hour in their quest to ask for God mercy and grace upon their lives.
‘WALKING THE TALK’
from
Dublin – Ireland.
Sending greetings of love and solidarity to Judith in Malawi and sisters and brothers living with or directly affected by HIV or AIDS everywhere.
Both Self Stigma and Societal Stigma almost caused me to end my life by suicide in 1996 five years after I becoming sick and subsequently diagnosed with AIDS in 1991. At that time I was living in a small farming community in Rural Ireland surrounded by my supportive family who were asked by me not to disclose my HIV status outside of the immediate family.
Why had I asked that of them?
Because of my fear of how neighbours, relations and work colleagues would view me from their Catholic informed moral standards. The pain and suffering I experienced over those five years through actual experiences of Self Stigma and Societal Stigma forced me to make one of two decisions: 1.Continue to hide away and suffer on my own or 2. Reach out and seek support of others living with HIV.
I chose the second in the spring of 1997 when the (New) medications started to work and made me feel well again. I made another decision at that time – the decision to set up a support group for other people living with HIV in rural Ireland.
You see – living with AIDS, for me has been a wonderful experience. Throughout the years of being very sick and dealing with the associated pain, I also commenced the path of dealing with my own mortality in the belief that one day soon I was going to die and meet my God.
By early spring in 1997 I had handed my life to my God saying: ‘Whatever is your wish for me – I am happy to accept’. I believed then I only had a few weeks to live and actually, through my spiritual experiences of God’s love over the previous years, I was looking forward to dying and finally becoming free to enter into God’s eternal love.
Instead I became well and found Open heart House in Dublin – an experience I celebrate every day! Open heart House was just being set up then to provide a place of welcome, acceptance and support for people living with HIV in a relaxed and safe social environment. Its mission was then and still is, to combat the social stigma of HIV through facilitating a supportive network of peers nationwide in an environment of confidentiality with the Dublin premises being the hub for a range of practical facilities and services. Inherent in the Mission Statement of Open heart House is the desire to respect one-another and it was this ethos that immediately attracted me to the organisation. I became involved with Open heart House in April 1997 and today I lead a national network of 800 people living with HIV in Ireland.
For me – its about standing up against HIV-Related stigma and “WALKING THE TALK” by developing my own competencies to combat Stigma and empowering others to do similar.
I believe all of us living with or affected by HIV can change the process both individually and collectively. All of us living with HIV or AIDS know the immense strength we have within us to cope with the many obstacles HIV or AIDS can present for us, and many of us do cross those obstacles. We know the immense bond of respect and solidarity that exists between people living with HIV and we know the strength we receive from the empowerment of peer support.
HIV-related stigma, while understandable (if we look into what stigma is, as I have done), is totally irrational and unacceptable. It gives an ‘otherness’ to HIV. It is the third pandemic after the pandemic of HIV and the pandemic of AIDS. From societies moral (?) perspective, it is those ‘others’ who get HIV – those immoral persons who are promiscuous, or who are sex workers, or who are drug users, or who are homosexual.
Well what about those who contracted HIV through Mother to Child Transmittion, or women who were raped in times of conflict, or those who became infected by blood products where no government screening processes were put in place. What about those people who are vulnerable to HIV infection through poverty, lack of education, abuse etc? Are these people immoral also?
It can be so easy for society to retreat to ‘high moral grounds’ and intellectualise their attitudes to HIV. There they [the moral experts] can feel safe! There ‘it won’t happen to me!’ There ‘I can feel safe!’ There, if I shout loud enough about the morals of the ‘others’, I will detract attention away from what is happening within my head and heart around my own sexuality, my own sexual desires and indeed how I express my sexuality.’ And for those ‘moral experts’ who are aware of all of the [eleven] factors that influence ones sexuality including the historical, religious, spiritual and psychological ones – such shouting will detract attention away while I struggle with my own moral values that are central to all of those influencing factors!’
And while society is still on ‘the high moral ground’ they may also intellectualise about the root causes of HIV related stigma – those ‘immoral people living with HIV or AIDS.
However, HIV or AIDS does not stigmatise. It is people who commit the act of stigmatisation. The person being stigmatised may seem different in the eyes of society. However, it is society that often act in a hostile manner towards people living with HIV fuelled by their own inherent prejudices. The irrationality of that behaviour is often fuelled by society’s lack of knowledge of how HIV is BUT more importantly, how HIV is not transmitted.
So who are the weak ones within our society? Is it those of us living with HIV or AIDS? Or is it those that are unable to look within themselves and find their God given gift to find the ability to respect others regardless of difference and truly understand how HIV is BUT more importantly, how HIV is not transmitted.
Judith, the experiences of Self Stigma and Societal Stigma in Ireland are no different to that in Africa. Regardless of our geographical location, its impact on the individual is the same. We must never forget that we are not second class citizens regardless of the obstacles that we may have to cross.
Similar to Africa, Ireland has three groups of people. 1. A group that will never change their attitudes. 2. A group who’s minds and hearts are open to becoming educated about HIV and people living with HIV. 3. A group that is educated and empowered to view us as equal citizens in society. I am confident that membership of the latter two groups are growing on a daily basis!
Let us continue to live in hope and soladarity!
James O’Connor (james@openhearthouse.ie)
‘WALKING THE TALK’
from
Dublin – Ireland.
Sending greetings of love and solidarity to Judith in Malawi and sisters and brothers living with or directly affected by HIV or AIDS everywhere.
Both Self Stigma and Societal Stigma almost caused me to end my life by suicide in 1996 five years after I becoming sick and subsequently diagnosed with AIDS in 1991. At that time I was living in a small farming community in Rural Ireland surrounded by my supportive family who were asked by me not to disclose my HIV status outside of the immediate family.
Why had I asked that of them?
Because of my fear of how neighbours, relations and work colleagues would view me from their Catholic informed moral standards. The pain and suffering I experienced over those five years through actual experiences of Self Stigma and Societal Stigma forced me to make one of two decisions: 1.Continue to hide away and suffer on my own or 2. Reach out and seek support of others living with HIV.
I chose the second in the spring of 1997 when the (New) medications started to work and made me feel well again. I made another decision at that time – the decision to set up a support group for other people living with HIV in rural Ireland.
You see – living with AIDS, for me has been a wonderful experience. Throughout the years of being very sick and dealing with the associated pain, I also commenced the path of dealing with my own mortality in the belief that one day soon I was going to die and meet my God.
By early spring in 1997 I had handed my life to my God saying: ‘Whatever is your wish for me – I am happy to accept’. I believed then I only had a few weeks to live and actually, through my spiritual experiences of God’s love over the previous years, I was looking forward to dying and finally becoming free to enter into God’s eternal love.
Instead I became well and found Open heart House in Dublin – an experience I celebrate every day! Open heart House was just being set up then to provide a place of welcome, acceptance and support for people living with HIV in a relaxed and safe social environment. Its mission was then and still is, to combat the social stigma of HIV through facilitating a supportive network of peers nationwide in an environment of confidentiality with the Dublin premises being the hub for a range of practical facilities and services. Inherent in the Mission Statement of Open heart House is the desire to respect one-another and it was this ethos that immediately attracted me to the organisation. I became involved with Open heart House in April 1997 and today I lead a national network of 800 people living with HIV in Ireland.
For me – its about standing up against HIV-Related stigma and “WALKING THE TALK” by developing my own competencies to combat Stigma and empowering others to do similar.
I believe all of us living with or affected by HIV can change the process both individually and collectively. All of us living with HIV or AIDS know the immense strength we have within us to cope with the many obstacles HIV or AIDS can present for us, and many of us do cross those obstacles. We know the immense bond of respect and solidarity that exists between people living with HIV and we know the strength we receive from the empowerment of peer support.
HIV-related stigma, while understandable (if we look into what stigma is, as I have done), is totally irrational and unacceptable. It gives an ‘otherness’ to HIV. It is the third pandemic after the pandemic of HIV and the pandemic of AIDS. From societies moral (?) perspective, it is those ‘others’ who get HIV – those immoral persons who are promiscuous, or who are sex workers, or who are drug users, or who are homosexual.
Well what about those who contracted HIV through Mother to Child Transmittion, or women who were raped in times of conflict, or those who became infected by blood products where no government screening processes were put in place. What about those people who are vulnerable to HIV infection through poverty, lack of education, abuse etc? Are these people immoral also?
It can be so easy for society to retreat to ‘high moral grounds’ and intellectualise their attitudes to HIV. There they [the moral experts] can feel safe! There ‘it won’t happen to me!’ There ‘I can feel safe!’ There, if I shout loud enough about the morals of the ‘others’, I will detract attention away from what is happening within my head and heart around my own sexuality, my own sexual desires and indeed how I express my sexuality.’ And for those ‘moral experts’ who are aware of all of the [eleven] factors that influence ones sexuality including the historical, religious, spiritual and psychological ones – such shouting will detract attention away while I struggle with my own moral values that are central to all of those influencing factors!’
And while society is still on ‘the high moral ground’ they may also intellectualise about the root causes of HIV related stigma – those ‘immoral people living with HIV or AIDS.
However, HIV or AIDS does not stigmatise. It is people who commit the act of stigmatisation. The person being stigmatised may seem different in the eyes of society. However, it is society that often act in a hostile manner towards people living with HIV fueled by their own inherent prejudices. The irrationality of that behaviour is often fuelled by society’s lack of knowledge of how HIV is BUT more importantly, how HIV is not transmitted.
So who are the weak ones within our society? Is it those of us living with HIV or AIDS? Or is it those that are unable to look within themselves and find their God given gift to find the ability to respect others regardless of difference and truly understand how HIV is BUT more importantly, how HIV is not transmitted.
Judith, the experiences of Self Stigma and Societal Stigma in Ireland are no different to that in Africa. Regardless of our geographical location, its impact on the individual is the same. We must never forget that we are not second class citizens regardless of the obstacles that we may have to cross.
Similar to Africa, Ireland has three groups of people. 1. A group that will never change their attitudes. 2. A group who’s minds and hearts are open to becoming educated about HIV and people living with HIV. 3. A group that is educated and empowered to view us as equal citizens in society. I am confident that membership of the latter two groups are growing on a daily basis!
Let us continue to live in hope and solidarity!
James O’Connor (james@openhearthouse.ie)
Naturally it is a stigma. The bigger societal stigma is that there is still no cure
In certain Rural Pockets of India, People with HIV/AIDS are Isolated till to date
Let secientists all around the world go back and find who are the HIV(AIDS) creator? if the people study the new world order carfully,they will find. They wanted to kills about 90% popluation of people and bring some wicked and satanic aliens to planet earth. 9/11 or world trade centre is another HIV sister. Washington created 9/11 in order murders in name of terrors that 90% of new world order plans of murders. Let both 9/11 and HIV be studies by secientists and politians and find who are the couse of these evil and satanic murderers.
allo
yes of course there,s a stigma ,in this country you could not get any form of insurance
[in some countries its irelivent ] in this country it is,going to a healtcentre/ = swiming poole,if it was known you had a sign on you that said i got hiv the place would empty
in 5 seconds,
there is a lot of misleading informatoin in this country about this subject,
the gov/health orgs say that now there are drugs for this condition you can lead a normal life?the impression is its ok to hiv ,
well its not for the following ,try getting any form of insurance in this country =eg car ins/ life ins/ private pension / ,try to get a job and if they find out you got it ,your gone
if you had an accedent in your car and the hospital checked your medication,
they all start to dress up as space men,
and because of the extra cost the insurance company would walk ,
if you were stupid enough to tell an insurance company you got hiv =1 you would not be insurable ,2 dispite the lead free, bio degradeable, none violent, image
this sociatey projects this is a dangerouse condition,thats why if you die in the states and the body is flown to england the body is sealed in a metal coffin inside the wooden one ,[ check the regulations ]
and if you found the partner of your dreams then found out they had hiv please tell me what would you do,
what if you passed it on to your child ,could you live with that ,knowing that the child probaly would not !
there are these and more examples as to why hiv is stigmatized , not to mention the fact it could turn into full blown aids
and the cost of treatment ,in this country ,= the gov and the pct,s dont even want spend any money on medication for anything for anybody,
so please befor we start to shout ,lets hang ol,fully trackable your qustion was is there a stigma with hiv and this is a only a fraction of what happens if and when you get it .
if my woman some how got it i would stay with her look after her and spend all i had and then sell everything i got to look after her myself .
peter mose
fully trackable
If someone cheats on me and then contracts HIV from the person they cheated on me with, I would never feel sympathetic. It’s not some BS religious issue to me: I’m an atheist. I just think that in cases like that, it’s people hurting others getting what they deserve. Aside from that, HIV is a scourge that must be fought with all of our resources…For every unethical jerk who deserves it, there will be 100 people who got it because somebody else was unethical or incompetent. To deny treatment to the cheaters would require us to persecute and to prosecute on a thought crime level, and that’s not something that can be tolerated either.
I have a disabled adult in the home who is HIV positive. Sometimes when people find out he has HIV they do not want to be freinds with him. Also, some people think if one person has HIV in the home everybody must have it in the home. All types of people get HIV. Gay, straight, old, young, disabled, black, white and so on. If you have HIV in the United States in some ways you are treated like a second class citizen.