If someone told you that your chances of surviving a debilitating disease depended on where you live, the word unjust might come to mind. While many of us think the epidemic of HIV/AIDS has greatly diminished and is no longer the death sentence that it once was, certain communities and groups of people are suffering beyond belief.
More than half of all new HIV cases in the United States are in the South, and Blacks (who represent only 14% of the population) accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections, according to the latest figures. For the first time since 1990, the International AIDS Conference will be held in the U.S. next week in our nation's capital. I'm honored to be speaking at a rally and march being held the day before this conference begins. We must renew our commitment to research, funding and patient care.
On Tuesday, veteran journalist Dan Rather presented a special report titled 'It's a Southern Thing' for AXS TV, focusing on the glaringly high rates of infection in the South and the lack of funding to both educate and combat the disease. According to the report, about 53% of HIV-related deaths in the U.S. are in Southern states, and these are the same states that in turn receive the least federal funding on a proportional basis. While places like New York and San Francisco have worked diligently to educate the public and provide treatment services, many places in the South are struggling immensely because of an inadequate amount of similar resources. Some studies even suggest that a person living in Mississippi with AIDS is 50% more likely to die from it than a person living in New York with AIDS. This is a travesty.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) routinely releases information regarding HIV/AIDS along various demographic lines. Their latest figures (from 2009) paint a dark and troubling picture for Blacks, Latinos and others. According to the CDC, at some point in their life, 1 in 16 Black men will receive a diagnosis of HIV, as will 1 in 32 Black women. In '09, the estimated rate of new HIV infection for Black men was more than six times as high as that of white men, and the rate of infection for Black women was 15 times the rate for White women.
Hispanics/Latinos represent some 16% of the population and accounted for an estimated 20% of new infections. In '09, the estimated rate of new HIV infection among Latino men was two and a half times that of White men, and the rate of infection among Latina women was four and a half times that of White women. And in '07, HIV was the third leading cause of death for Black males and Black females aged 35-44, and the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic/Latina females in the same age range.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are another group at great risk. They represent approximately 2% of the U.S. population but accounted for more than 50% of all new HIV infections annually from '06-'09 according to the CDC. And unfortunately, because of certain stigmas that exist in many communities, this group often gets delayed diagnosis and treatment.
It is abundantly clear that while the spread of HIV/AIDS has slowed down thanks to education, awareness and prevention, the message and the funding hasn't reached everyone and everywhere equally. As Southern states seek money to help provide treatment to people, and Blacks and Latinos work to do the same in their communities, the rest of us cannot remain silent.
HIV/AIDS has no boundaries. It impacts every corner of the earth across all racial and gender lines. But the prevention and treatment often correlates with one's economic status, race or residency. As leaders from around the world gather next week in D.C. for this annual conference, we cannot fail to highlight our weaknesses in combating the disease here at home. Together, with the international community, we can renew our resolve.
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Gays and straights know all about using protection and do so, or not, based on a variety of reasons, porn not being one of them. The reason the HIV rate is higher among gay men is because they have a smaller, closed community. It's the same reason why HIV is on the rise in the elderly, especially in retirement communities. One person is infected in a small, closed community the infection spreads easily.
I agree with you about the porn, though. I doubt it has much influence over condom use.
Here is the problem, it isn't a matter of education. People have known for generations that smoking is bad for you. It isn't a matter of knowledge. People know unprotected sex is risky. People know IV drugs are bad.
The problem is that people lack the self control to restrain from doing bad, stupid things. Until people acquire self-control, then stupid behaviors will continue.
I can tell you that I will never suffer a fatal accident from my parachute not opening, since I will not jump out of a perfectly good airplane. If you have unprotected sex, with all the information on the subject available and presented at all levels of society, you are jumping out of the airplane without a parachute.
Stop trying to turn this into another "victim" scenario.
So everyday, are life is at risk from what inside or outside are homes.
it is a form of racism and ageism. government itself is responsible, sadly. when you turn 50 you are part of the trash, if you are a vet this is unforgivable. this will not change.
In American the home of the HIV scam the number of infected 20 years ago were estimated at 1.2 million and today at 1.2 million - no new, let alone lethal std, can behave stagnant. An absurdity.
In America the largest number hetrosexual cases is among blanks in the south. No true virus can recognize race and geography and go wild in SF with gays, become a non factor in white people but become lethal in blacks in the south. What this absurd non std behaviour shows is that HIV testing is overwhelmingly being done in certain groups and not others. The Hiv test is an invalid junk science test and the false positive outcome that happens translates to being labeled and then treated with medical drugs that are highly toxic and cause serious disease and death.
You tube HIV myth, or House of Numbers
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are another group at great risk. They represent approximately 2% of the U.S. population but accounted for more than 50% of all new HIV infections annually from '06-'09 according to the CDC.
From what I read a .75Cent condom would of prevented most cases.
So go to the source and educate people of the dangers of unprotected sex and gay sex. Maybe we should procecute those who knowingly spread aids through sex.
It is impossible for Aids be caused by a sexually transmitted infection. No std can possibly behave the way HIV does and thats because the hiv test is a totally invalid test and Aids is not a std.
Anyone thinking Aids is an std believes in magically thinking. Stds are equal opportunity spreaders. An std doesn't know if its SF, or the south or on the moon - it spread via sex. Despitre the fact that all real stds have relatively equal prevalence in all sex orientations and all parts of the country, Hiv doesn't. It active in only a few groups which defy all known behavioral patterns for real stds.
The epidemic of hiv testing in certain groups is the greatest risk factor ie, taking a test that has no scientific basis, that produce a certain % of false positives ( all positives are false hiv positives, test being invalid ) those victims of the invalid test are given medical drugs that are highly toxic and lead to symptoms, serious drug created diseases and treatment caused deaths.
No hetrosexual Aids in America outside the high risk of being tested and treated communities.
HIV = AIDS - in a world where after 30 years an alleged deadly std fails to spread in all but high testing groups is a cultural hallucination.
You need to provide more information and provide some kind of proof for you assertions.
Without that you are just rambling
I don't know this for a fact because I don't have either of these infections but I you browse seeking natural cures for either of these two you will find references to acidic and alkaline body fluids. There is a lot to learn in the field of nutrition to cure arrest and or defeat this kind of illness.
The reasons why more people survive these diseases- earlier detection & treatment; protease inhibitors/anti-retrovirals; chemotherapy; angiogenesis inhibitors; monoclonal antibodies; radiation therapy and surgery. Nutrition certainly helps, but not in the absence of proper medical treatment.
2. Dont' share needles
Consider yourself educated.