The African heterosexual AIDS myth

Townhall ^ | April 14, 2005 | Michael Fumento

[Blood of Tyrants]

Ninety-nine percent of AIDS and HIV cases in Africa come from sexual transmission, virtually all heterosexual. So says the World Health Organization, with other agencies toeing the line. Massive condom airdrops accompanied by a persuasive propaganda campaign would practically make the epidemic vanish overnight. Or would it?

A determined renegade group of three scientists has fought for years – with little success – to get out the message that no more than a third of HIV transmission in Africa is from sexual intercourse and most of that is anal. By ignoring the real vectors, they say, we’re sacrificing literally millions of people.

These men are no crackpots. John Potterat is author of 140 scholarly publications. He began working for the El Paso County, Colorado health department in 1972 and initiated the first U.S. partner-tracing program for AIDS/HIV.

[Blood of Tyrants]

AS usual, the left is completely willing to lie in order to pander to the homosexual crowd.

[Doogle]

Massive condom airdrops accompanied by a persuasive propaganda campaign would practically make the epidemic vanish overnight. Or would it?


..no, it would provide balloons for the next party.


Doogle

[december12]

This is a fascinating article. I expect there's some truth to it. On the other hand, why is HIV in Africa about as common among women and among men?

[G.Mason]

Good post. Thanks.

“First World researchers doing second rate science in Third World countries.”

Or in other words ... It's all about the money. No myth ... no dough.

[G.Mason]

You may wish to re-read the article. ;)

[dead]

I've always thought the disparity between heterosexual transmission in Africa and the US was inexplicable. There were some who said it was because of the prevelance of other sexual diseases that created sores that facilitated transfer of the virus. But that still didn't seem to account for the difference.

The number of men who have contracted AIDS via vaginal sex is in the US is so low as to be statistically non-existent. Yet people say hello to their neighbor in Africa and they get the disease. Obviously the official numbers of heterosexual transmissions in Africa are a joke.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"...why is HIV in Africa about as common among women and among men?"

if the anal sex bunch is bisexual, they practice it with the women as well.

Also, no-one will EVER convince me that you can get aids from a needle but not biting insects.

[Cicero]

Another factor is that AIDS is vaguely defined in Africa. The presence of numerous different diseases is taken as evidence of AIDS, but there may or may not be a test for HIV infection.

As to how women get the disease, it's possible that it is transmitted to them not only through punctures, as noted, but also through anal intercourse.

A serious problem is that this is such a political disease that you can't really trust anyone's research. They find what they are expected to find by the people who pay them, and they don't venture to look for anything else. There's an enormous industry here sucking up the AIDS money pouring out of government coffers.

[cvq3842]

Interesting. I will bookmark.

[Sthitch]

And now we are seeing it with the "Marburg" outbreak in Angola. The amount of reuse of sharps in Africa is astounding, I recently was told by one of my clients who happens to be an infectious medicine specialist, that it is not uncommon for African doctors to reuse a needle until it breaks. These are not witch doctors that he was referring to, these were European and Cuabn trained physicians.

[SteveMcKing]

How f--king insulting is it to have condoms air-dropped on your land by libertine euro-freak do-gooders.

I'd shoot the plane down and start a war if it were my country, no matter how poor and "backward" our lifestyle.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I would guess that otehr STD's that weaken the immune system and cause vaginal and/or penile bleeding and/or discharge was the culprit.

[DTogo]

But I was told AIDS in Africa is all the Pope's fault, or if not, Bush's fault. /sarc

[Tired of Taxes]

Good article. So, the reason may be due more to poor medical practices...

I've also read that the AIDS number may be overblown in Africa because - paraphrasing here - AIDS treatment is better-funded and, if a person is sick, and they want treatment, they can get it by claiming "AIDS"...

Also, there's a book and documentary on how the development of the polio vaccine using chimps might've led to the disease in humans in the first place, beginning in Africa, where they were testing the new vaccine on people. (The investigator's work was refuted by scientists, but the evidence was pretty compelling).

[timtoews5292004]

Because of the belief that AIDS can be cured (if you're a man, of course) by having sex with a young virgin.

[cajungirl]

I too worry about those big giant mosquitoes we have down here. A couple of generations back most of my forbearers were killed by yellow fever spread by mosquitoes. My Dad got malaria down here. I am suspicious of them and wish DDT would come back. That ban has been a disgrace.

[timtoews5292004]

well, if some of those doctors are using that needle on a patient with AIDS, anyone who follows on that same needle would probably get it, too.

[AppyPappy]

Yup. Higher AIDS numbers means more UN money

[timtoews5292004]

The ban on DDT has indirectly killed more people than AIDS has, especially in developing countries (although that is changing rapidly, as evidenced by stories such as this).

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

Didn't the article state bisexuality.