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Isn't it wrong to call HIV/AIDS a gay virus?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Driftr, Jun 22, 2016.

  1. Driftr

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    I always see homophobes use HIV/AIDS jokes against LGBT people but like aren't most of total patients in the world who have HIV/AIDS straight? Why do people seem to overlook this?

    Why is it associated with the gay community then when we have statistics like this

    "heterosexual intercourse is now responsible for 70-80% of all HIV transmissions worldwide"

    https://www.aidstruth.org/misuse-of-studies/padian/


    It just irritates me to no end. It's like ignorant straights have gotten away with shifting the blame of the cause of HIV/AIDS to gays only. I feel like the representation in the media that we've been getting doesn't mean shit if we're not actively trying to get rid of these damaging stereotypes. Like have you all seen the comments on the new ProudToBe# campaign on Youtube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtCyepuLt8Q Like I literally feel the hope in humanity drain from me right after reading the comments

    Who else shares this frustration? It's like do they even teach about HIV/AIDS in schools anymore?
     
    #1 Driftr, Jun 22, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2016
  2. AlamoCity

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    In developed nations, most HIV transmissions occur between men who have sex with men and/or drug users (sharing needles).

    That said, many diseases disproportionately affect discrete populations. It's good in terms of how you target a public health response, but never good to vilify a population. We don't call cystic fibrosis a "white disease," sickle cell a "black folk curse," or Tay Sachs a "Jew problem." We never say that cholera in India is due to how "backwards they are in terms of infrastructure and sanitation and how shitting everywhere is bound to cause issues." Gay people (men, since lesbians have a LOWER rate of HIV transmission than even straight folks) just happen to be a discrete population disproportionately affected by a disease.
     
  3. JonSomebody

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    I think its very ignorant to categorize HIV/AIDS as a gay virus when its been very apparent of the years that straight people can contract the disease through blood transfusions, drugs/bad needles, etc.
     
  4. Reflect Manta

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    If that's where the chips fall, that's where they fall. HIV/AIDS happens to be a bigger issue when men fuck carriers and druggies share needles. the truth doesn't have to be nice or socially cohesive.
     
    #4 Reflect Manta, Jul 12, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2016
  5. YuriBunny

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    In a section about HIV/AIDS in my health textbook, it says that heterosexual relationships are the best for preventing STDs. :frowning2:

    Yeah, it is wrong, and it's frustrating that even my school textbook gets it wrong! :eusa_doh:
     
  6. Flowey

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    :icon_wink
    Well, that's just wrong. The best way to prevent STDs is not to have sex at all!
     
  7. YuriBunny

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    Yeah, it said that about sex before marriage. But then once you get married, apparently the risk of STDs suddenly disappears? o.o
     
  8. Reflect Manta

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    only if your partner isn't a carrier or doesn't become one.

    Still, not fucking anyone is a pretty good way to not catch HIV.
     
  9. peterw78165

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    True.

    If you do have sex, though, use protection.
     
  10. iiimee

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    I'm not sure if it's true, but in a museum around here it says that "While gay men were the first to contract the disease, nobody is safe from HIV." or something like that. Does anyone know if it originally came from gay people? XD I can't trust any museums around here, considering one of the museums around here is a flippin' ark.
     
  11. Reflect Manta

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    most definitely. wrap your tool. hell, let's get some advocates out there screaming their heads off about female condoms while we're at it. some women don't even consider that option. it's literally off their radar.
    Never heard any of that. sounds hokey tho.
     
  12. peterw78165

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    Perfect quote from the Jaboody Dubs (YouTube channel that does really funny infomercial dubs) Sticky Buddy dub: "Even if it's a quickie, wrap that Sticky."
     
    #12 peterw78165, Jul 12, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2016
  13. Reflect Manta

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    I still think it's worth raising a stink about how the onus of preventing pregnancy/STD's in hetro relationships is almost exclusively on the guy, but I'll save that for another thread.
     
  14. BookWriter1994

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    Yes. It is wrong because everybody can get it. There was a story on my local news about a woman that has HIV and she's straight! It was during the Free HIV testing thing and she was on the news because of it.
    It's not a gay virus. Everyone can get it. The only way that you cannot get it is by using some form of protection. Men and Men sex(Condoms) Women and Women sex(Gloves, dental dams) Woman and Men sex(Condoms).
     
    #14 BookWriter1994, Jul 12, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2016
  15. Reflect Manta

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    but the point was never that straight people don't contract it. it was that it's such an overwhelming problem that druggies/gay sex and HIV were near-synonymous. individual incidences don't discredit a trend until there are enough of them to say it does not predominately occur one way or another.
     
  16. Creativemind

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    lol!!! Actually, lesbian relationships would be the best since we statistically have a lower STD risk, but It's still not 100% safe either.

    Yes, heterosexuals can also get HIV. I think the belief that It's mainly a gay male disease is due to the fact that unprotected anal sex is by far the most dangerous when it comes to HIV spread. Heterosexuals have the same risk with anal, but since the society belief is "anal to gay guys is like PIV to heterosexuals" it is associated with HIV more.
     
  17. Aussie792

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    Evidently. Viruses aren't purposive; they don't consciously target anyone. It's not wrong to call it a virus prevalent among men who have sex with men, at least in the developed world, because that happens to be true. Gay men are more likely to have inherently high-risk sex and that makes transmission among men who have sex with men higher.

    There needn't be any moral judgement in making that claim. Targeting HIV programmes, be they about safe sex or access to antiretrovirals, to gay men and intravenous drug users is a valid thing to do for the wellbeing of those groups.
     
  18. Michael

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    This is like saying kids are a consequence of heterosexual folks...

    Ofra Haza died of AIDS, her husband killed her (or it was maybe 'a blood transfusion' if you believe her husband). The virus did not affected her because she was gay or hetero. As far as I know, there are no such viruses.

    People didn't got it because of their sexual orientation, not even because of being promiscuous : People got it mostly because they had unprotected sex with a HIV positive partner. So if you need to call it something that has anything to do with the majority of cases, call it 'a sex virus'.

    To me that 'gay virus' sounds like a thing coming from radical christians (and other charming creatures) trying to smash on anything 'gay'...
     
  19. LokiLoki

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    Unprotected anal sex between men, sharing of needles while doing drugs, and blood transfusions with tainted blood are the easiest ways of contracting HIV.

    If you have no sex at all, don't share needles, and don't get any blood transfusions your chance of getting HIV drops to zero.

    Having said that, it's annoying to hear the two equally wrong takes on this, generally from liberals on one side and conservatives on the other:

    liberals: More heterosexuals transmit HIV than gay men!

    Well yes, but that's because there are far more heterosexuals than gay men. Gay men are much more likely to contract HIV than heterosexual men. Some groups, such as black gay/bi men, have infection rates of a mind-blowing 50%!

    conservatives: HIV is a gay virus!

    This gives the impression that if you're straight you can't get it or transmit it. Not true at all. More heterosexuals transmit HIV than gay men, but just saying that without context is also misleading (see above).