Posted on 06/03/2005 11:18:37 AM PDT by FormerLib
Glazov: Dr. Brody, let’s begin with you. Could you kindly comment on this phenomenon and give your perspective on some of the themes I have raised?
Brody: In the early 1980s, in my hometown of New York, it was apparent that AIDS deaths were occurring in transfusees, injecting drug users, and male homosexuals. It was also apparent to the homosexual community that given that affected population, generous federal funding would not be forthcoming. People skilled at public relations developed the "Big Lie": that HIV was a major risk to all, and was readily spread via penile-vaginal intercourse (rather than only by injection or anal intercourse) to otherwise reasonably healthy adults. This lie was understandable given the circumstances at that time. With time, generous funding became available, and the lie was no longer needed for the original purpose.
However, by that time, several political interests became very invested in the Big Lie. Those interests included those who sought to confuse political equality of homosexuals with egalitarian disease susceptibility (I suspect that only a small minority of those promoting that agenda were themselves nominally homosexual). So-called "gender feminists", inspired by the late Andrea Dworkin and her ilk, were keen to vilify intercourse, and hoped to reduce intercourse frequency (in favor of sexual behaviors that were less exclusively heterosexual), as well as to dampen its quality and intimacy (via condom promotion).
In addition to the major role played by the political left, segments of the political right might have been pleased to see a means of enforcing relative sexual continence. People of any political persuasion who, for their own psychological reasons, feared intercourse, also joined the chorus.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
STill waiting for you to tell some of the women I know that they don't have hiv...
And your point is?
It would be so much funnier if it weren't true.
OK, it’s uphill for now. I was reminded why when I was recently forwarded a speech of a key international organization figure on African HIV-AIDS, passed around approvingly by a colleague of similar rank. Well, it almost read like a feminist parody. It was wrong-headed in a pity-without-thinking way, invoking HIV-AIDS as a scare/shame tool against sexual abuse of women in Africa, along with stray ramblings irrelevantly celebrating affirmative action. Fighting sexual abuse of women, while a noble cause, is only somewhat relevant to a serious fight against HIV-AIDS in Africa. Another Left-bred bias was present – a lack of realistic appreciation that African data can be tainted by widespread official corruption, as well as endemic poverty, ignorance, and superstition.To reassure readers – even if we are all wrong here (I doubt it) and "heterosexual" transmission is the major route in Africa -- inspiring better data and scientific rigor is worth the effort. Moving injection safety to the forefront is still beneficial for fighting HIV, hepatitis, and many other infections, including the recent Marburg virus outbreak. Sexual hygiene education will continue no matter what; even skeptics of the "heterosexual" African spread assumption still feel that sexual transmission of a certain type is a key route (and some significant penile-vaginal transmission may be yet the case as well), along with the sense that accurate sex education and hygiene benefits general health care.
BUMP!
Ok, now that's got to the most nonsensical statement said on Free Republic today?
I suppose you can PROVE how they got the disease? Does the article say that you cannot get it via vaginal intercourse? No, it does not! It points out that the risk has been exaggerated to support political and social agendas.
...as well as to dampen its quality and intimacy (via condom promotion).
And I do want to thank the two of you for helping bump this one to the top!
Did not the CDC say that just about all sexually transmitted aids cases can be tracked back to a homosexual act? IOW the woman has sex with a man who at some point had sexual contact with another man.
Homosexuals are still upset they are excluded from blood donor pools.
I think articles like this upset SOME groups because of individual agendas not scientific accuracy and precision.
Well, considering that atomic theory is "only a theory", I think that we should teach the controversy on this one.
"Ummm, this is a very stupid article...there are many studies showing that women can get aids from heterosexual intercourse. In fact, the largest group of people currently growing in number of infections is African American Heterosexual Women."
It is indeed an irresponsible, dangerous article illustrating total ignorance. HIV/AIDS used to be a gay, iv drug user disease. Thanks to --bisexuals-- and promiscuity, it is now our problem. How does one know that the person they have intercourse with has not been an iv drug user, or has patronized prostitutes, or had sex with men? In this day and age, we are encourgaed to experiment, and men who have sex with men aren't consider "gay" unless they are "on the bottom." African-Americans are at a ---significantly-- higher risk of the disease, so anyone who has relations with a black man is more likely to get the disease too. Black men aren't known as being gay, but they do have a good chance of at some point in their lives going to jail. In jail, men do men. It is common.
I had a debate with a liberal once online about this disease. I argued that homosexuality should be shunned instead of encouraged. She didn't quite get it, but I at least had an open enough mind to get her point--and it is a vitally important one. The reason certain groups are hit hard is because those groups tend to be small. In other words, if there was one promiscous young man (perhaps a meth addict) in my small rural community, it would not take long for him to pass his disease on to the drug addict community. It would be more noticeable because it is a small town.
Take note of the recent figures of HIV among seniors in certain communities (those that had the voting problems) in Florida. Something like 1 in 4 or 5. You can't convince me that 75 year olds in Florida have gone gay or have started using an drugs (except viagra). They have become heterosexually promiscous because medicare pays for erectile dysfunction drugs and the men are trolling for filthy hookers, then passing it on.
If you break down the stats in Africa, you find that certain communities are hit harder, rather than the devastating numbers being spread equally across the region. African soldiers use hookers, then bring HIV home to their wives, who are often pregnant.
I've read that in cultures where virginity at marriage is highly valued like Rio, girls will have anal sex to preserve it.
"A fascinating discussion that blows the myth of "heterosexual AIDS" out of the water."
Are you willing to take that gamble with your life?
I am definitely not advocating homosexuality. But as you say, this one affects all of us, thanks to promiscuity. People should continue to abstain or use condoms. Articles like this do nothing (or little) to promote safe lifestyles.
"And could you be so kind as to supply the links to some of these "many studies". Do avoid the ones discredited in the article, however."
Hi former lib. Why don't you test the theory yourself. If you are a woman, have unprotected sex with an HIV positive man. If you are a man, just have unprotected sex with an HIV positive hooker, or better yet, set your daughter up with an HIV positive man.
Tell them to stop screwing around with monkeys (monkeying around).
I believe that, because that happens in some areas of Africa.
Actually, I avoid all of what are now termed "high-risk behaviors" for reasons other than fear of HIV/AIDS. Thanks for asking.
The panel seem to think medical injections are the most significant reason for the spread.
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