AIDS Education..Or Condom Promotion?(Viacom)

MRC ^ | February 14, 2003 | by L. Brent Bozell III

[fight_truth_decay]

The "silent numbers" of HIV/Aids has been growing in this country.

[RAT Patrol]

What motivates these people? If they want to be immoral losers themselves then fine. Why must they convert everyone else, especially the kids who watch Nickelodeon?

[steplock]

The truth IS begining to reach out!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/843378/posts

cLINTON IS oUT -Morals are In!

[fight_truth_decay]

According to figures released by the state this week, Miami-Dade County in 2002 had 1,765 new HIV diagnoses, 18 percent more than the previous year. Palm Beach County had 519, a 44 percent jump, while Broward County's 1,086 new cases were 30 percent higher than in 2001. Statewide, the number of new HIV cases rose 21 percent.

Posted on Fri, Feb. 14, 2003

South Florida HIV cases show jump, spark debate
BY ANDREA ROBINSON
arobinson@herald.com

[fight_truth_decay]

"We are still dealing with this perception that HIV/AIDS is not a problem in America — is it just a problem overseas," he added. "Some people call it AIDS complacency. I think it is an issue among all people, not just people of high risk. We are still very concerned about the estimated 280,000 people in America who are infected with HIV and don't know it."

An estimated 850,000 to 950,000 people in the United States are infected with HIV and 36 million worldwide.

Protective Measures Must Be Stressed

Valdiserri urged doctors who treat HIV patients to remind them about ways to avoid transmitting it to others — which include safer sex and letting sexual partners know they are infected.

He said the CDC had investigated a number of outbreaks of syphilis among gay and bisexual men that showed between 43 percent and 59 percent of those turning up with syphilis — which, like HIV, is transmitted by oral, anal and vaginal sex — knew they were HIV-positive.

That suggests the men were having unprotected sex despite knowing they could pass on the virus.

"HIV-infected people need support so they don't transmit the infection to others," Valdiserri said.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/US/AIDS_US030211.html

[RAT Patrol]

Don't miss this part: The panel said that "because of limitations in study designs, there was insufficient evidence from the epidemiological studies on these diseases to draw definite conclusions" about the effectiveness of condoms in actual use. It noted that "the absence of definitive conclusions reflected inadequacies of the evidence available and should not be interpreted as proof of the adequacy or inadequacy of the condom to reduce the risk of STDs." The panel also recommended further well-designed research to help answer remaining questions.

A products "effectiveness" or "ineffectiveness" is about the percentage of CHANGE it produces. It is not about total risk. Bozell's statement is accurate. IT IS NOT 100%. It should not be advertised as a cure-all. Morality is still the best answer. Shame on Viacom for promoting immorality while peddling condoms. Are they getting a kick-back from condom companies or something?

[yendu bwam]

You're of course right, RAT Patrol. Condoms break and slip off, not all that infrequently. To give the idea to our youth that sex with condoms is safe is highly immoral.

[eastsider]

The study is saying that an HIV-positive person and HIV-negative person could have sex for fifty years, and if they “always” used condoms, there is a LESS THAN ONE PERCENT chance of the negative person becoming positive.

I guess it's also saying, then, that an HIV-positive person and HIV-negative person could have sex for fifty years, and if they "never" used condoms, there is LESS THAN SEVEN PERCENT chance of the negative person becoming positive.

5.8 (i.e., the difference between 6.7 and .9) divided by 6.7 is 86.6%.

Meaning that condom use is indeed ineffective in preventing HIV transmission 13.4% of the time. Why anyone would call that a distortion is beyond me.

[CWW]

How can anyone be surprised by anything Viacom does

Viacom owns MTV, which is one of the greatest purveyors of the free love and sex crowd. When I was in collge, i.e., when MTV just started in 1982, it was about music. Now its about debauchery, and lots of it!

The president, CEO and founder of Viacom, Sumner Redstone, is dispicable for putting this trash on the tube.

[RAT Patrol]

They "do reduce" incidence of the disease. They do not "prevent" contracting the disease. It is appalling to give the public the sense that they do. I guess the sitcoms don't have time for the whole truth.

Morality would eliminate HIV/AIDS altogether; would it not? How about sending that clear message for a change?

[RAT Patrol]

I love math people. Good job!

[RAT Patrol]

Condoms break and slip off, not all that infrequently. Exactly. That's why they were careful to clarify the study did not provide conclusion about actual use of the product.

[eastsider]

No. When condoms are used correctly and consistently, they are nearly 100% effective in preventing HIV transmission.

The rate of incidence with condoms (.9%) is being compared to the rate of incidence without condoms (6.7%), which is how the researchers arrived at their 85% condom effectiveness figure. Of that 6.7%, condoms would be ineffective in preventing transmission 13.4% of the time.

[RAT Patrol]

In the study he cites, condoms prevented seroconversion over 99% of the time.

You are attributing to condoms the chance percentages. That's inaccurate. You can only judge condoms on the DECREASE in incidence they provide.

A couple of questions I have:

Is there a difference in effectiveness rates between heterosexuals and homosexuals?

Is there a difference in effectiveness rate depending on which partner is infected?

What do they mean by 100 person years? Do you know?