with all the people deliberatly infecting themselves with hiv would you continue to support hiv causes??

Question

i am asking this because here in Canada i have noticed over the past 10 yrs that more and more gay men are going out to get themselves infected with the virus and younger gay men dont seem to care about becoming infected because of drugs available here in north america. there is also the fact that hiv positive people here in canada get a substantial amount of money and support , and get low rent housing faster than anyone else. so hence the question, would you continue to support hiv/aids causes??

i get this information first hand being a member of the gay community since 1978. i know it is an "underground" thing that has been going on for quite some time but has been slowing down a bit. it has also been covered in several news stories over the years in both mainstream and gay media. there has even been "hiv"parties where people go to get infected. back in the 80s in florida people were infecting themselves to get on disability.

Answer 1

Despite what other responders may think, what the questioner asks is TRUE. It is not homophobic its in the news.

I am a gay man and I have seen this too! It has been reported in mainstream news media and medical journals.

To answer his question, yes hiv/aids causes should be still supported.

The instances of those who allow themselves to intentionally get infected, though alarming and disturbing, is statistically very small number of new cases. In the US and Canada the spread of hiv is still growing at too fast a pace in minority heterosexual communities (here in Houston Tx, among hispanics and african americans). There has also been dramatic increases in the younger gay population of the two countries. Of course others too are contracting it, and most are not doing so intentionally.

Worldwide, hiv/aids is overwhelmingly a heterosexually transmitted disease.

Sadly those few that do self inflict do so for very misguided reasons. The belief that AIDS is chronic and not fatal and without risk, less precaution in sex needed (erroneous at best). Misplaced empathy. Drug influences are also attributed to this(Current Tv has a pod on this very thing running this week).

Support for causes shouldn't be stopped because of a few irresponsible and/or misguided. Support hould be ramped up to protect those wishing to not be infected, and those wishing to be rid of the infection.

Just as important,in lay man's terms, AIDS is not really in itself a disease, but syndrome that allows other diseases to take hold. You don't die from AIDS you die from diseases that AIDS allows to take hold. Theses diseases evolve, and it is only a matter of time that they can spread by means other than bodily fluids. It is in our best interest to stop HIV/AIDS before other diseases are launched into the population not infected.

We cure diseases not as a reward for good behavior, but because it makes sense to do so for everyone's best interest, but also because it is the humane thing to do.

Answer 2

Hey, Handy - I'm guessing that this "poke" from the used syringe happened while you were at work, since you were able to tell that, not only was the syringe a few days old, but it was also used by someone who's HIV+. This is one of those times where waiting isn't a good idea. If it did happen while you were on the clock at your job, then you should have told your supervisor at the time it happened. At that point, you would have made an incident report, explaining how you sustained the needle-stick. Then your company would have been obligated to: 1) have you tested for HIV at that time, as a baseline, and 2) give you the choice of beginning immediate "post-exposure prophylaxis" (PEP) treatment (a cocktail of HIV antiretroviral medication) to take for up to six weeks. PEP has been shown to be highly successful in preventing the development of HIV infection after an occupational (at-work) exposure. However, all of that has to occur within the first 24 hours after the needle-stick. After that, PEP's success rate declines very quickly. But, if it did happen at work, then you still need to tell your supervisor. If it didn't happen at work, get tested on your own as soon as possible. The chance of you contracting HIV by a needle-stick from a syringe that had only dried blood in the needle is extremely low. But testing is still recommended by the pro's, one test two to four weeks after exposure and another test about three months after that. If both tests come back negative, then you'll know for sure you didn't contract HIV from the needle-stick. Good luck.

Answer 3

I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand that in North America HIV/AIDS is very much under control - your comments are simply not true - if you are engaging in sexual intercourse then you have just as much chance of contracting the virus, this is not a gay issue, this is a human issue. In Africa the most common way in which the virus is spread is through RAPE which infects the mother and is then passes on to any children she conceives as a result. This is a major issue, why don't you pour your clearly exhibited energies into solving this issue??

Answer 4

Frankly, the "epidemic" is not nearly as widespread as you suggest and supporting HIV causes helps far more people than the ones that you named. Why should you support research for heart disease considering that both smoking and obesity cause heart disease and those 2 highly contributing factors are also "self-inflicted". Perhaps you should quit attempting to moralize a disease.

Answer 5

Deliberately getting infected with HIV . Thats just plain sick.No I hereby withdraw my support for the AIDS causes.

Answer 6

Dear, That is your opinion. I'd love to see statistical proof of what you say.
Does it really make sense to you that a person would deliberately infect himself with HIV so he can be first on the list to move into the slums for cheap?

Answer 7

where's your proof?
I support HIV causes because there are many who did not "ASK" to be infected. I know "nothing" of what you say and it sounds a bit far fetched.

Answer 8

I'm so sick of people saying that gay people are the #1 spreaders of hiv, don't you know the number one killer of black people is aids? Maybe they shouldn't be allowed to get married!

(Not racist just making a statement)

Answer 9

Jason, "infecting themselves"?
Like I "got myself pregnant"?

Honestly, consider that there's just a TAD more to the stories.

Answer 10

My Pastor said in 20 years America will be like Africa.
We must help.
Blacks are more promiscous gay black men sleeping with their girlfriends passing it to spouses and children through pregnancy
It is mostly gay disease but not primarily .
We still need to help.