*huffs*

[iamshadow]

Now, if you saw the Associated Press headline HIV no longer fatal disease, what would you think

Comments

[nathaniel_hp]

With you 100 %!
Berlin has also seen an increase in infections. The young ones now never knew the fear of the early years, nor the education campaigns that followed ... Bareback parties are normal again, and openly advertised.

I was part of the organisation team for a couple of HIV/AIDS conferences (did you go to the one in Sydney last year, by any chance?). For the World AIDS conference in Toronto, we had loads of protesters. You know, usually the ones that protest against pharmaceutical companies for not distributing and stuff. We also had a couple of really odd ones claiming that AIDS did not exist ... Um, yeah ...

[happi_feet]

I think sensationalist protesters are as bad as sensationalist media sources. I don't know what country you're in, but I've worked as an elections official (not a party affiliate, a county poll worker) for twelve years now, and I am still amazed at the rampant ignorance in humanity. One organization was out in February, going around to the different precincts and handing out what amounted to bald-faced lies to the voters. Of course we ran them off from ours, but their damage was already there. People believed them because they were made up of lawyers, paralegals and other such. I wish I could remember their website now so that I could link it.

[nathaniel_hp]

Yeah, once the damsge is done, it's done. And news like AIDS having been cured will stick, no matter if this information is set right afterwards. Sad, but yes, people are ignorant.
I have to admit the 'AIDS doesn't exist' protesters intrigued me. I don't remember the details now, but they too had expert (i.e. medical) proof that they were right. A bit like the pseudo-scientific approach of creationists. Bad thing is, it's actually not all that easy to counter-argue, unless one is a bit of an expert oneself.
Maybe I can't find the info again, then I shall link it too :)

[happi_feet]

I've heard religious fundamentalists claim that AIDS and HIV are "God's punishment on [the gay community]", and that all other STDs are similarly "God's punishment for [extramarital or otherwise non-puritanical] sex". It's not that I think people give God too much credit, but rather I don't think people give the inherent stupidity of humanity enough credit. Like God has to do anything, really. If left to our own devices, we willingly and quite handily do it all ourselves. If you really think about it, occasionally God steps in and undoes the damage on occasion. (see: Mrs. Jannipher Kisakye's story and others like it)

[pengke]

The best way to counter that argument is to point out that lesbians have the lowest rate of STD infection.

[iamshadow]

I shall have to remember that one.

[happi_feet]

I shall have to remember that.

[iamshadow]

No, I don't go to the conferences, I just worked for the local branch of ACON for a couple of years. I know someone who's trying to get from Canada to Mexico without touching down in the USA so he can go to the conference down there, though. He's in his sixties, he's been positive for about twenty years, and been with his HIV negative partner over a decade. The US laws mean that his HIV status could allow them to turn him back home, even if he's just changing planes, even though he's not a risk to anybody. People are statistically more likely to catch HIV in the USA than to come in to the country and infect someone, and yet they get away with discriminating because supposedly, someone who knows their (positive) HIV status is a threat. I'm telling you, the ones who are a threat are the ones who don't get tested regularly and continue to have unsafe sex.

[nathaniel_hp]

Hmm, yes, those immigration laws are pretty outrageous.
They actually changed them in Canada for the 2006 conference, which was pretty cool. I have to admit though, I don't know if that was a permanent change or just an exception.