AIDS Toll May Reach 100 Million in Africa

Fox News/AP ^ | Saturday, June 03, 2006

[pleikumud]

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — It began quietly, when a statistical anomaly pointed to a mysterious syndrome that attacked the immune systems of gay men in California. No one imagined 25 years ago that AIDS would become the deadliest epidemic in history.

Since June 5, 1981, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has killed more than 25 million people, infected 40 million others and left a legacy of unspeakable loss, hardship, fear and despair.

Its spread was hastened by ignorance, prejudice, denial and the freedoms of the sexual revolution. Along the way from oddity to pandemic, AIDS changed they way people live and love.

[pleikumud]

Gay sex = disease and death. Government should not endorse gay sex by legalizing gay marriage. The law should only recognize marriage between a man and a woman. Congress should view gay sex for what it is - a threat to public health.

[Zeroisanumber]

While it's easier to spread HIV between gay men, most of the victims of the disease in Africa are heterosexual.

[operation clinton cleanup]

No one imagined 25 years ago that AIDS would become the deadliest epidemic in history.

I don't imagine it now. Other epidemics killed far more.

[tomzz]

Contrary to what some believe, that **** does not come from ****ing apes and monkeys; it comes from EATING them. At least originally. The trade in "bush meat" has to be stopped.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Effed up culture is a major cause.

Strange beliefs that virgin girls should have sex the first time with strange magic men is one of the more extreme ones.

African culture must change or there will never be change in regard to aids there.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Shoulda nipped it in the bud. Quarantines should have been done. it would be much less of a problem now if PC attitudes hadn't stifled early action.

[FlingWingFlyer]

And the "chicken flu pandemic" is on the way! I'm not going to worry about "global warming." We're doomed! DOOMED!

[gotribe]

I had to read that twice. You get aids from eating monkeys - seriously? Please cite a source.

[FlingWingFlyer]

...AIDS changed they way people live and love.

You can't catch HIV by just "loving" someone. Boink! Boink!

[neutrino]

Interesting, is it not, that despite all the numbers tossed about, the population continues to go up.

You don't suppose someone could be trying to play a game of aid-scam?

[JasonC]

Um, why has the population of Africa continued to expand on the same 3% exponential as before, since the arrival of this disease?

The number of deaths ascribed to aids outside of Africa (where the definition is different) has fallen to 800,000 in the last year.

The statistic I'd like to see is what portion of deaths outside Africa, ascribed to aids, have any immediate cause of final illness other than TB. Preferably with a whole time series.

I've no doubt that infection with the HIV virus is endemic in Africa. What I doubt is any substantially increased mortality, rather than redefinition of causes of death.

[King Prout]

When heterosexuals began to contract the disease through blood transfusions and other medical procedures, they were often portrayed as "innocent" victims of a disease spread by the immoral and licentious behavior of others.

while infectious diseases don't "care" about morality or anything else, the above "portrayal" is absolutely true: those who have contracted HIV through rampant promiscuity, odd sexual practices, and IV drug abuse bought their tickets and are unworthy of much in the way of pity; those who contracted HIV in other manners ARE innocent victims - largely of the political correctness which prevented universal blood-testing and quarantine measures.

[tomzz]

I have seen articles connecting the two recently although I'd be hard put to put my finger on one of them quickly. Nonetheless it's a very easy connection to make. AIDS originated as a disease of apes and monkeys. You watch those PBS things about the trade in "bush meat" up and down the Congo river and ask yourself how much of that stuff ever gets cooked properly, and you just don't need to be Albert Einstein to connect the dots.

[MAexile]

Effed up culture is a major cause.

Strange beliefs that virgin girls should have sex the first time with strange magic men is one of the more extreme ones.

African culture must change or there will never be change in regard to aids there.

So much for all cultures being equally valid. Here's a case where the culture itself might wipe out it's own members.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I'm still trying to find the bread line to stand in since job growth has slowed.

[gotribe]

I guess it'd be like eating squirrel.

[FlingWingFlyer]

LOL! I know. On the other hand, job growth might have slowed because employers have become more cautious about hiring illegal aliens.

[jennyp]

I had to read that twice. You get aids from eating monkeys - seriously? Please cite a source.

IIRC, it was more from bushmeat hunters getting bitten while hunting or otherwise getting monkey (or chimp?) blood into an open wound. I don't think it was from eating them per se.

[A CA Guy]

In Africa I hear it isn't as much a gay sex issue at all.

Problem is their hygiene is bad and they often have open wounds on their bodies.
A guy with sores on his body goes make whoopee with an aids infected whore and passes it then to women who he is either dating or is married to.
The women of such men then give birth with AIDs to a baby with AIDs in many cases.

Then the men thing if they rape a virgin, that the aids will go away, so they go all Muslim and rape young girls and infect them.

All this mind you before the word gay gets into the picture.
This is why Africa is dying so much faster than elsewhere IMO.

[synbad600]

You must read Randy Shilts' "And The Band Played On". My take after reading it, albeit years ago, was that the homosexual community bore a lot (not all) of blame, and spread it by not listening to the medicos. PC had nothing to do w/ it. The gays did not want to sacrifice their hard-won "rights" and act in an responsible manner by closing the bath houses.