Spreading HIV

What is your point?

 

The guy *claims* that's what he's done. He's sick enough to have done it, and he's sick enough to exaggerate just to scare people.

 

The original patient zero:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ga%C3%ABtan_Dugas

That HBO film that came out years ago covered this guy's backstory pretty well.

He had the right job to get a lot of ass (flight attendant).

Claimed 2,500 partners.

 

It's not exploding because the majority of American society heeded the warnings and practices safe sex.

 

You really think so?

Do you have any numbers/stats to back this up?

 

I have plenty of anecdotal evidence among the people in my age group that grew up post-Magic. Stronger, IMO, than the assumption you have about straight people not getting HIV.

 

HIV: The only virus that's essentially 100 percent preventable, yet AIDS is still a pandemic.

Behavior change is tough.

 

Ugh.

The numbers back up my statement. Straight men, engaging in vaginal sex with women, are unlikely to get AIDS if they do not use IV drugs or engage in other high risk behavior.

bigpern23 posted the numbers. Only 27% of new cases in America (which is where we're talking about, and I assume Canada has similar numbers) are folks who self report as heterosexual, non-IV drug users.

Now, that's based on self reporting, so it's probably a little off, and I would bet that most of those cases are heterosexual females who had sex with infected males -- males who either had sex with other males, or IV drug users.

So, now we're down to 13.5% at best.

People are making it sound like a straight male, having unprotected sex, is like playing Russian roulette with a six shooter. It might not be the most brilliant idea, and there are a lot of other STDs out there, but there are a lot more empty chambers than five, when we're talking about AIDS.

I'm really not sure that many more people are using protection (consistently). People like sex more without it. Sex is often spontaneous.

People that have a lot of sex, or engage in high risk sex, may be better at using protection in the past (though there are just as many anecdotal stories suggesting the opposite), but I doubt your average heterosexual hook-up involves a condom all that more often than in the past.

 

HIV might not have "exploded" among the heterosexual population in America, but it sure has in other parts of the world.

And YF - I think more heterosexual hookups involve protection now than in the past, particularly when we're talking about sex between unmarried partners. HIV and AIDS is the big boogeyman there, but the fear of other STDs and unwanted pregnancies along with more education on and availability of things like condoms has been a huge influence for younger generations.

 

Exactly. What an idiotic comment.

 

I have to admit, once I got married nearly 7 years ago, she and I talked about it and we decided to get AIDS tests done. I was really nervous and scared about waiting for the result. I hadn't been celibate as a single guy.
Man, was I relieved when the results were negative. It's a big psychological sort of thing to consider doing and lots of people (moreso guys) are too freaked out by the prospects to get the test.
My sister died at age 53 after testing HIV positive when she had unprotected sex with the wrong guy.
Everyone needs to be tested as soon as possible.
Everyone.
For your own good and own peace of mind.

 

I have no doubt this guy is trying to spread HIV .. But WTF... He claims to have engaged in unprotected sex with about 3,000 people over a three-year period?
That's unprotected sex with almost 3 people a day. That's exemplary for a rich, buff, famous athlete/movie star.. A balding 51-year-old who looks like a homeless meth addict who showers in a street sweeper? That's un-fucking-possible.

Yeah, I think Wilt Chamberlain just called bullshit.