Just a reminder after World AIDS Day-

[w8liftinglady]

HIV/AIDS can be treated now,and the life expectation has been tremendously increased.This does not,however,come without a price....the average HIV treatment is around $2000/month.Much of this is supported by The Ryan White Foundation and Medicare/Medicaid.As the percentage living with AIDS/HIV rises by 50K/year,don't forget toremain vigilant on research,funding....AND PREVENTION!I know you are all politically active- continue to press your representatives.

I see too many uninsured HIV positive patients who would live good lives if they had proper access to medications/treatments.Yes,in The United States.

http://www.avert.org/aids-treatment-america.htm#contentTable2

[William769]

1. Highly recommended.

[closeupready]

2. That's why this new CDC campaign to widen testing is actually frightening and doomed.

Without confidence that treatment will be available after a positive test result, those in targeted communities who are uninsured or who otherwise can not afford treatment/HIV medications have little incentive to get tested, and actually incentives to NOT get tested if there is a risk they are HIV+.

For one, states increasingly are approaching prevention campaigns with an iron fist, meaning a positive diagnosis runs the risk of isolating you - as if individuals who are among communities at risk don't ALREADY have enough problems being functioning members of mainstream society.

[MNBrewer]

3. If a positive result also resulted in free medication and medical care

Expanded testing would be a good thing. Also provided that it was confidential.

[closeupready]

5. Absolutely agree with you here. But health care is getting more scarce, not more available.

Our government-by-prostitution we have is not going to fix that anytime soon, unfortunately, so these expensive campaigns they announce regularly to great fanfare are nothing more exercises in masturbatory public relations that piss away taxpayer money.

[MNBrewer]

6. Yep!

When $=speech, then bribery becomes protected speech.

[w8liftinglady]

4. Youth Pride Services Statement on World AIDS Day 2011

http://gaytoday.com/index.php/2011/12/01/youth-pride-services-statement-on-world-aids-day-2011/


HIV is a disease that is wreaking seemingly uncontrollable havoc on the African American community, specifically the demographic of young MSM (Men who have Sex with Men). In 2009 African American MSM accounted for 73% of new infections of all African American men. Keep in mind that MSM includes men who may not identify as homosexual or bisexual, but engage in some form of sexual activity with other men. While the number of African American MSM represents a vast majority within the total number of African American men with HIV, they only represent a third of all MSM. In the year 2006 MSM accounted for 53% of all new HIV cases in the United States. Of those 53% White MSM accounted for 43% of all new HIV cases, with the 30-39 age groups making up most of that percentage. African Americans accounted for 52% of the new MSM HIV cases in 2006 with the largest group consisting of 13-29 year olds. I think it would be very interesting to analyze why those two demographics are the largest within their own race, as well as why the age varies according to race.

Asking is HIV still preventable almost seems like a sarcastic rhetorical question. The simple answer to this is YES, as HIV is not something you can pick up off the streets . . . well not literally. If everyone used a condom every time they engaged in sexual
intercourse it would greatly affect the number of people infected with HIV each year. Condoms are not an absolute solution, but it definitely would prevent many people from becoming a new case. The other ways in which HIV is spread is fewer and less risky than vaginal and anal sex, therefore the number of people contracting the disease would take a huge dive if everyone wore a condom during sex.

The most common reason people don’t use condoms during sex is because it doesn’t feel as good, the solution to that is to get yourself tested regularly. Knowing your status places you in a position to not only protect yourself but others. If you find out you are positive for HIV that doesn’t mean you can’t have sex, but you know you need to wear a condom when engaging in intercourse to prevent spreading the disease. If you and your partner are both negative then it is deemed safe to not use a condom, but there are still other diseases that can be contracted when not using a condom, and even if you get tested and don’t have any other diseases it still comes down to how well do you know your partner and do you trust them, even then it might be better to wear a condom as it is “better to be safe than sorry.”

The reasons why the Gay and Bisexual community continue to have the highest rate of new cases are an entirely different topic. Answers to that question can range from an already condemned perception of one’s self to having the same promiscuous
tendencies as anyone else, both homosexual and heterosexual. At the end of the day the answer is the same for everyone, and I know we’ve heard it time and time again, WEAR A CONDOM and KNOW YOUR STATUS; this alone would prevent thousands of new cases and all but put an end to the HIV epidemic. I challenge myself and you to just take a minute to think as to why it could all be so simple but we’d rather make it hard.