1 in 5 gay, bisexual men has AIDS virus and many don't know it, says CDC study

[Franzl]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-med-aids-urban-gays,0,4578616.story

ATLANTA (AP) — One in five sexually active gay and bisexual men has the AIDS virus, and nearly half of those don't know they are infected, a federal study of 21 U.S. cities shows.

Experts said the findings are similar to earlier research, but the study released Thursday is the largest to look at gay and bisexual U.S. men at high risk for HIV. More than 8,000 men were tested and interviewed, and 44 percent of those who had the virus didn't know they had it.


Really sad stuff...

I'm not posting this with intent to insult or attack any gays....I'm just wondering how the rate can really be this high when the overall national rate is still under 1%.

Is transmission rate just so much higher than with heterosexual sex.....or do homosexual people not use contraceptives as much, statistically....?

Any explanation? It's really shocking stuff.

[Sewer]

IT'S GOD'S REVENGE!!!!111!!1

[bgwah]

So the threat of pregnancy is much more effective in getting people to use protection than STDs. What else is new.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Now, how many straight men have AIDS?

[Thomas D]

I think some of them don't much care if they live or die.

[Torie]

I just heard on the radio that there seems to be some evidence that long term HIV folks using the drug protocols to keep their virus at bay, seem to suffer an acceleration of senile dementia. Lot's of folks in their 60's in this situation seem to losing their short term memory. For every couple of steps forward, there seems to be one step back. Sad, and of course, costly.

[King]

How does one take a survey to find out how many people don't know that they really have AIDS?

[Platypus]

1/5th? Really? That's much, much higher than I would've thought for Australia, and I'm guessing our numbers would be reasonably similar. 1 in 5...wow :/

[exopolitician]

That seems incredibly high....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-med-aids-urban-gays,0,4578616.story

ATLANTA (AP) — One in five sexually active gay and bisexual men has the AIDS virus, and nearly half of those don't know they are infected, a federal study of 21 U.S. cities shows.

Oh....well that makes sense then.

[opebo]

So the threat of pregnancy is much more effective in getting people to use protection than STDs. What else is new.

Surely you jest, bgwah.  Straight people aren't (consistently) using condoms, and they're certainly not using them more than gays are, they're just lucking out.  For various reasons, they do have lower risk (less promiscuous, mostly not doing anal sex, and by the very nature of female physiology, the same person cannot be both the creamer and the creampied).  But the reason for less transmission in the larger non-gay-man populace is most certainly not condom-usage.

[Gustaf]

It's been alluded to already, but the chance of transferring STDs is much higher with anal sex than with vaginal sex. And the pregnancy thing.

And according to an article I read a while back it's currently hip within the gay community to not use a condom.

And based on my anecdotal evidence, one night stands are more common within the gay community. At least the male gay community.

[dead0man]

It's been alluded to already, but the chance of transferring STDs is much higher with anal sex than with vaginal sex. And the pregnancy thing.

Especially lady to dude.  It's next to impossible for a woman with HIV or AIDS to give it to a dude when doing "normal" sex.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I'm pretty sure that's more than anecdotal, but I don't feel like using my Google Fu right now.

[memphis]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships. 

Including gay marriage, memphis?  I'm shocked, just shocked.   

[Brittain33]

And according to an article I read a while back it's currently hip within the gay community to not use a condom.

"Hip to not use a condom"?

This is a complex issue, and many men likely aren't wearing condoms, not that I would know... but I really don't think it's a question of trendiness, which would imply a level of vacuity and thoughtlessness beyond normal expectation. I think it might be lack of vigilance after 15 years of protease inhibitors, young people growing up without thinking too much of AIDS, the problem of people not identifying as gay and then having risky sex, and long-term couples not using condoms.

[opebo]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

That's not really such a great solution.  Monogamous relationships are undesirable on so many levels that I'm not sure 'safer sex' is enough of an argument for them.  Its like saying to people  'eat nothing but brussels sprouts and rainwater the rest of your life and you'll live to be 100' - the obvious response would be 'why would I want to?'

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

[Torie]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

The point-counterpoint above tends to demonstrate just how degraded in meaning the term "family values" has become in American political discourse. Thanks Dobson for degrading our language into some Manichean cesspool.

[Ban my account ffs!]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

The point-counterpoint above tends to demonstrate just how degraded in meaning the term "family values" has become in American political discourse. Thanks Dobson for degrading our language into some Manichean cesspool.

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

The point-counterpoint above tends to demonstrate just how degraded in meaning the term "family values" has become in American political discourse. Thanks Dobson for degrading our language into some Manichean cesspool.

It's FamilyValues™, thank you very much.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

actually, it's biblical values.

[Beet]

[memphis]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

Not their fault alone, of course. Still, it would clearly be in the interest of public health to not just allow but encourage gay marriage. That certain Christians demonize gays and their relationships is helping to spread AIDS among gays. It's the exact opposite of "love thy neighbor."

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

Not their fault alone, of course. Still, it would clearly be in the interest of public health to not just allow but encourage gay marriage. That certain Christians demonize gays and their relationships is helping to spread AIDS among gays. It's the exact opposite of "love thy neighbor."

Um, you don't need a government marriage license to be able to form a monogamous loving relationship with someone.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Gays are just promiscuous, nothing you can do to change that.

[Alcon]

The obvious solution to this crisis would be to encourage them to form monogamous relationships.  The "family values" crowqs is complicit in this situation.

of course, it's always the fault of the biblical Christians

Not their fault alone, of course. Still, it would clearly be in the interest of public health to not just allow but encourage gay marriage. That certain Christians demonize gays and their relationships is helping to spread AIDS among gays. It's the exact opposite of "love thy neighbor."

Um, you don't need a government marriage license to be able to form a monogamous loving relationship with someone.

That doesn't contradict what he said.