World AIDS Day

Thecure

I just wanted to say to everyone out there who has ever met or known anyone who has died of AIDS or living with HIV/AIDS. Lets find a cure.

PEACE OUT TO ALL

PearlsGirl

We had a really cool World Aids Day gathering of sorts here in Brussels. Local bands played, they had information packets, ballons, a walking condom (haha), a lot of press too. I'm glad they had such an event because for one thing, condoms are expensive here, and people don't seem to care about protection. AIDs can be prevented... that was the message of the day, well, along with finding a cure.

Who Princess

I'm glad to see this thread. There is so much apathy about HIV nowadays. People think it isn't a problem anymore so they don't educate themselves or take precautions.

I spent 5 years working at an AIDS service organization in the 90s and lost many friends that I've been remembering today. This epidemic has changed our world and will be with us for a long a time.

Thecure

I am somewhat dishearted by the lack of posts on this thread.

i work in an AIDS sevice organization in toronto canada and have lost alot of people to AIDS. sadly the trend of HIv is still growing. here are the stats for 2007.

http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm

Kann

Thecure wrote:

I am somewhat dishearted by the lack of posts on this thread.

I think (imo) that AIDS is an elephant in the room. Most people know about the dangers of HIV and remember to use a condom/use a clean needle/not drink other peoples blood/etc. when time is needed but prefer not be reminded this sickness exists because :
1 - it's depressing to aknowledge 30+ million and rising people are condemned
2 - infected people make other people uncomfortable
The second point may be a stretch, but I think (again imo) that most people do not want to come in contact with hiv+ persons - so they block out the problem altogether.

I read an article on the WHO page a few days ago (it's somewhere but I can't find it) talking about a study that showed that by testing everyone in endemic zones (mainly africa and south-east asia) and giving hiv-treatment to positive patients they could predict a 95% decrease in new cases in ten years and thus opening the path of the eradication of the virus in a longer term. Of course it's just a mathematical prediction and forcing tests and treatments onto people seems a little unethical.

Thecure

Kann wrote:

I think (imo) that AIDS is an elephant in the room. Most people know about the dangers of HIV and remember to use a condom/use a clean needle/not drink other peoples blood/etc. when time is needed but prefer not be reminded this sickness exists because :
1 - it's depressing to aknowledge 30+ million and rising people are condemned
2 - infected people make other people uncomfortable
The second point may be a stretch, but I think (again imo) that most people do not want to come in contact with hiv+ persons - so they block out the problem altogether.

I read an article on the WHO page a few days ago (it's somewhere but I can't find it) talking about a study that showed that by testing everyone in endemic zones (mainly africa and south-east asia) and giving hiv-treatment to positive patients they could predict a 95% decrease in new cases in ten years and thus opening the path of the eradication of the virus in a longer term. Of course it's just a mathematical prediction and forcing tests and treatments onto people seems a little unethical.

i remember reading that article too. the main problem is money. you need peopel to give money to get those meds to people and since imo peopel are not talking abotu HIV or AIDS that money will not be given. i agree with yoru 2 points above also, sadly agian.

Who Princess

I think the above comments are accurate. I'm also not surprised that there aren't many posts in this thread. People don't want to be reminded about HIV.

I saw a big change after I was working in the field in the 90s. I left right about the time the new medications started coming out and people started living longer. All of a sudden everyone started to think that it wasn't a problem anymore and began to look away. I know that means that if people aren't talking about HIV, they aren't doing anything about it either.

For most people, HIV is something that happens far away, to somebody else. In a sense that's true. But it's a disease that thrives on lack of information and access to health care. I'm just waiting to see the next big wave of infections diagnosed, because I know that they're out there happening.

Thecure

whoprincess wrote:

I think the above comments are accurate. I'm also not surprised that there aren't many posts in this thread. People don't want to be reminded about HIV.

I saw a big change after I was working in the field in the 90s. I left right about the time the new medications started coming out and people started living longer. All of a sudden everyone started to think that it wasn't a problem anymore and began to look away. I know that means that if people aren't talking about HIV, they aren't doing anything about it either.

For most people, HIV is something that happens far away, to somebody else. In a sense that's true. But it's a disease that thrives on lack of information and access to health care. I'm just waiting to see the next big wave of infections diagnosed, because I know that they're out there happening.

i can tell you that they are, i see it everyday. what i don't understand is why people don't want to be reminded. we talk about war, politics to teh heavens here. this is a war. i was reading in teh paper yesterday abotu how ALOT kids believe that there is a cure for AIDS.

Who Princess

Thecure wrote:

i can tell you that they are, i see it everyday. what i don't understand is why people don't want to be reminded. we talk about war, politics to teh heavens here. this is a war. i was reading in teh paper yesterday abotu how ALOT kids believe that there is a cure for AIDS.

That doesn't surprise me at all. I'm sure people believe there's a cure because there aren't as many people dying. If they don't know someone personally they just don't see how it will affect them. Also, young people don't seem to have a perspective on time. To hear that they'll get a disease that will kill them years from now doesn't seem to make a connection. What they don't understand is that it means they won't be able to do the things they dream of doing or see their kids grow up. It's also a really bad way to die.

Kann

A woman here is suing her partner because he did not mention he was hiv+, had unprotected sex (both were willing - and she didn't ask for the results of a test) and she ended up infected.
The debates are raging here on the responsibility of the man. What's your opinion on this?

Anon

Kann wrote:

A woman here is suing her partner because he did not mention he was hiv+, had unprotected sex (both were willing - and she didn't ask for the results of a test) and she ended up infected.
The debates are raging here on the responsibility of the man. What's your opinion on this?

So just to make sure i have this right
you say her ''partner'', so i assume they were in a relationship?
He knew he was hiv+,
did not tell her
continued to have unprotected sex with her...

if she dies from his negligence, i'd say he's a murderer.

Anon

Thecure wrote:

I am somewhat dishearted by the lack of posts on this thread.

i work in an AIDS sevice organization in toronto canada and have lost alot of people to AIDS. sadly the trend of HIv is still growing. here are the stats for 2007.

http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm

Keep up the good fight. We have to keep educating people.

Kann

Pj_Gurl wrote:

So just to make sure i have this right
you say her ''partner'', so i assume they were in a relationship?
He knew he was hiv+,
did not tell her
continued to have unprotected sex with her...

Exactly

if she dies from his negligence, i'd say he's a murderer.

That's what I thought as well. But in the debates we've been seeing since this got public one side says :
- being sick is not a crime
- the woman had the responsibility of her own safety and should have protected herself until she had proof of his negativity.
I disagree with these arguments but I have to admit it's ethically more grey than I thought at first. I just wanted to see what people here thought about this.

Anon

Kann wrote:

Exactly


That's what I thought as well. But in the debates we've been seeing since this got public one side says :
- being sick is not a crime
- the woman had the responsibility of her own safety and should have protected herself until she had proof of his negativity.
I disagree with these arguments but I have to admit it's ethically more grey than I thought at first. I just wanted to see what people here thought about this.

I just don't understand his thought process. Does he not realize the possible serious implications of his actions? Maybe he is is in denial? Regardless, i agree being sick is not a crime, but knowingly exposing another person to the virus is.

Jeremy1012

Kann wrote:

A woman here is suing her partner because he did not mention he was hiv+, had unprotected sex (both were willing - and she didn't ask for the results of a test) and she ended up infected.
The debates are raging here on the responsibility of the man. What's your opinion on this?

I'm sure in some countries this is considered a very serious crime. I think it is in the UK. If it is done with malicious intent I think it could be considered murder.