Why do people believe that bisexuals, gays, and lesbians are more prone to getting HIV/AIDS?

Question

I dont understand it. Its not true so why do people look down on us. Everytime most people hear Bi, Lesbian, or Gay they automatically think of HIV/AIDS.

Answer 1

AID's first reared its ugly head in the early '80's. The first famous person to die of AID's was the movie star Rock Hudson. Up until he became ill with AID's everyone thought that he was heterosexual, but he did admit that he was gay. It was a disease of homosexual males. Before the screening of blood products was instituted, a few cases occurred in children who had hemophilia and in heterosexual people who had had blood transfusions. It was spread from the gay community to the general population by people who were bisexual and by drug abusers sharing needles. AID's is now rampant among all sexually active non-monogamous people. Supposedly, because of its long incubation period, a third of the people who have HIV are currently unaware that they have it. Even though they are asymptomatic, they can still spread AID's. It behooves all sexually active singles with multiple partners to be tested regularly. Condoms provide some protection, but aren't 100% safe in preventing the spread of the disease.

Women are more easily infected than men by women because semen from an HIV positive male contains HIV. A woman with HIV would have to have an open bleeding lesion or be having her period in order to give HIV to a partner during sex.

Answer 2

They just haven't explored the facts.

Dispel the myths and learn the truth. Accurate information is the key to understanding. This list will help put those rumors, myths, and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS to rest.
1) HIV is the same as AIDS
In fact this couldn't be further from the truth. HIV is a virus and AIDS is a collection of illnesses. Knowing the difference between the two is a very impportant part of understanding both.
More: What are the differences?
2) HIV only affects gay men and drug users
In fact, HIV can infect anyone. Babies, women, seniors over 50, teens, blacks, whites and hispanics. At risk behavior can lead to infection in anyone.
More: Who is HIV affecting most?
3) We both have HIV...we don't need a condom.
Not true. Experts are seeing more an more incidences of re-infection, making HIV treatment even more difficult.
More: Why do we need to use condoms?
4) People over 50 don't get HIV.
Don't bet on it. In fact, people over 50 make up a rapidly growing segment of the HIV population.
More: What seniors need to know about HIV.
5) I have HIV...I can't have children.
This used to be true but not anymore. Women living with HIV can and do have families. While certain steps and precautions have to be taken, women can now have the families they always dreamed about.
More: Women with HIV can start a family.
6) We don't need a condom for oral sex.
Again, untrue and a very dangerous myth. Condoms must be used each and every sexual encounter; vaginal, anal and oral.
More: Surprising statistics about HIV and oral sex.
7) My family doctor can treat my HIV.
The fact is, experts believe that given the complexities of HIV care, only HIV specialists should manage your care. Be sure to choose a doctor who cares for HIV patients regularly.
More: How to choose the right doctor for you.
8) HIV can be cured.
While many make claims of miraculous cures, the sad truth is there is no cure for HIV. Be careful of claims or cures and miracles. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
More: Beware of AIDS fraud.
9) Why don't we have a vaccine? It should be easy!
While progress is being made, vaccine development is not without its challenges and difficulties. Many experts feel we are still many many years from an affective HIV vaccine.
More: What progress is being made in vaccine development?
10) I have just been diagnosed...I am going to die.
This is the biggest myth of all. In fact people are living with HIV longer today than ever before. Meds, treatment programs, and a better understanding of HIV allows those infected to live normal, healthy, productive lives

Answer 3

Because when AIDS emerged in the US in the 1980s it was largely among gay men. However, the numbers are evening out now and heterosexuals are about as likely to contract AIDS as homosexuals. However, the bias still exist especially some inflammatory preachers on the Christian Right liked to preach that homosexuals brought the AIDS epidemic among themselves. However, intravenous drug users have also been tremendously affected by HIV/AIDS but they're far less organized than gays and thus a far less easy target of hatemongers

Answer 4

When I was in school there was a story that we read in heath class about the history of AIDS. It said that a man who was gay that worked for an airline was the first person to become infected. The way they said how he became infected was due to a small monkey and some how blood got mix between the 2. Please don't not think that I am bashing on anybody, I was just pointing out that there are so many different ideas on how the outbreak started, I'm sure nobody really even knows for sure.

Answer 5

The fact of the matter is that men spread HIV a lot easier than women do. So you can basically blame men for that. Women don't really ejaculate as much or like men do, however men's ejaculation has blood in it, and as we all know, blood is what spreads HIV. Most homosexual men are not monogamous, meaning they have several partners. So one man has sex with another man, who then has sex with another, who then has sex with a woman and they are all infected. The fact is that homosexuals are who spread the disease in america so quickly. As far as Lesbians are concerned, I've never heard such.

Answer 6

The media has done this. And it certainly was true for AIDS in North America in the early 1980's....but the public still hangs onto that as a kind of security blanket..like it'll never happen to me....but the sad truth is it has happened to straight women that I know.

Answer 7

According to state(s) and federal epidemiology reporting, which is based on demographic information collected during testing, we know that Men who have sex with Men are most at risk for contracting HIV because historically speaking the infection rates have been highest in that particular risk category.

Lesbians are at low risk. They are statistically the lowest risk group of all the categories.

Answer 8

most people think that you engage in riskier behavior simply because you are gay.there are some i imagine that use drugs,share needles and have unprotected sex maybe even in orgies,but i think people who are not gay can also be accused of risky behavior also.my uncle died of aids he was not gay,he was a truck driver and i never knew cause i was a kid that he cheated on my aunt with other women,thats how he got aids unprotected straight sex with a w hore.

Answer 9

when AIDS first broke out it was in the gay community, and that was when people thought it just included men having unprotected anal sex, which......is one of the easiest ways to catch it...
now that people know the truth about AIDS they just refuse to acknowledge it and use it as an excuse for bashing...

Answer 10

You start with what you want to believe and then make up statistics or quote them selectively to support your pre-determined position.