Ask an HIV/AIDS volunteer.

[emzie]

I believe the US government covers over a third of the people with it in the US.

About a month after my dad died, we got a call from the Columbus Department of Health to check on him (all they had was his test results) and to see if he needed enrolment in a program. When my mom said he had died, the lady responded with, "wow, he shouldn't've" -- thanks for the tact!

How do you feel that the Catholic Church and affiliated organisations is the largest provider of care for HIV/AIDS?

Their stance on condoms sorta overrules it in my book. I recognize the Catholic Church does a lot of great work, especially in poor countries, but they're taking stands that increase their workload -- and increase human suffering -- and in rare cases, actively spreading misinformation about condoms.

I think the church is blinded by idealism here, and some are content to let bad things happen for sinful behaviour. In reality, the suffering is on the part of women married to unfaithful men and their children.

 

[Gucumatz]

What do you think the odds are of a mutation of AIDs in the near future to something easier to spread? I mean by air-borne/water contamination

 

[Gucumatz]

And I want to thank you for your work too. I am not particularly well versed in the effects or how easy it is for AIDs to spread I have to admit. Do you think we are doing enough as a nation to prevent spread?

 

[emzie]

What do you think the odds are of a mutation of AIDs in the near future to something easier to spread? I mean by air-borne/water contamination

Negligible in the extreme. HIV doesn't really live in nasal mucus or salvia to be spread via aerosols. If there's blood in the mucus or salvia, it's theoretically possible I guess but I'm unaware of it ever being documented. Salvia is a good barrier against HIV.

And I want to thank you for your work too. I am not particularly well versed in the effects or how easy it is for AIDs to spread I have to admit. Do you think we are doing enough as a nation to prevent spread?

Compared to impressions many people have, it's surprisingly hard to spread. Even unprotected receptive anal sex with an HIV-positive individual not undergoing ART is less than a 3% chance per sexual encounter and normally under 1%. Even a blood transfusion from an HIV-positive individual is not guaranteed (~90% which is still very high of course).

As to the job society is doing to curb the spread of HIV, we're doing okay. Doing this kind of work makes you very aware of socioeconomic conditions of various areas and people. I think we're at a wall of diminishing returns when it comes to stopping the spread of HIV among well-educated people. We're not doing a very good job with poorly-educated, impoverished areas, and recent immigrants. Here in Canada, we're seeing an explosion in new cases among aboriginal populations.

 

[civ_king]

About a month after my dad died, we got a call from the Columbus Department of Health to check on him (all they had was his test results) and to see if he needed enrolment in a program. When my mom said he had died, the lady responded with, "wow, he shouldn't've" -- thanks for the tact!



Their stance on condoms sorta overrules it in my book. I recognize the Catholic Church does a lot of great work, especially in poor countries, but they're taking stands that increase their workload -- and increase human suffering -- and in rare cases, actively spreading misinformation about condoms.

I think the church is blinded by idealism here, and some are content to let bad things happen for sinful behaviour. In reality, the suffering is on the part of women married to unfaithful men and their children.

Yikes.


If the Condoms only reduce transmission rates due to poor quality, age, sitting in heat by 75% and people engage in sex five times as much since it is now "safe sex" then does promoting condoms increase or decrease the spread?

In Africa the problem is lots of people have multiple partners.

 

[classical_hero]

Their stance on condoms sorta overrules it in my book. I recognize the Catholic Church does a lot of great work, especially in poor countries, but they're taking stands that increase their workload -- and increase human suffering -- and in rare cases, actively spreading misinformation about condoms.

I think the church is blinded by idealism here, and some are content to let bad things happen for sinful behaviour. In reality, the suffering is on the part of women married to unfaithful men and their children.

The fact of the matter is condoms aren't 100% effective in stopping pregnancies. Considering the AIDS virus is smaller than semen, it is even less effective.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

The fact of the matter is condoms aren't 100% effective in stopping pregnancies.

And seat belts don't make you invincible when in a car.

 

[emzie]

Yikes.


If the Condoms only reduce transmission times due to poor quality, age, sitting in heat by 75% and people engage in sex five times as much since it is now "safe sex" then does promoting condoms increase or decrease the spread?

The fact of the matter is condoms aren't 100% effective in stopping pregnancies. Considering the AIDS virus is smaller than semen, it is even less effective.

I wouldn't claim condoms are fool poof. As civ king points out, condoms can degrade over time, making them libel to rupture or tear. They are however, when correctly used, very good at curbing the spread of HIV. Let me quote the CDC on this:

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of HIV.

Theoretical basis for protection. Latex condoms cover the penis and provide an effective barrier to exposure to secretions such as urethral and vaginal secretions, blocking the pathway of sexual transmission of HIV infection.

Epidemiologic studies that are conducted in real-life settings, where one partner is infected with HIV and the other partner is not, demonstrate that the consistent use of latex condoms provides a high degree of protection.

http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm

The last point I think is the most conclusive. Since it would obviously be immoral to do laboratory testing of HIV transmission in humans, a natural experiment is the closest simulation. If condoms weren't very good at acting as a barrier to HIV, then you would see it with point 3. You don't.

Granted, these are idealized settings in western countries. Heat, even body temperature, will degrade condoms over time. I would trust the condoms I buy in an air-conditioned store here in Ottawa over ones found in sub-Saharan Africa. One thing I would like to see is sex workers with free access to condoms and the power to require their use. One of the most heart breaking things I've read are reports of migrant workers bring HIV home to their wives, who can't really say no to sex. The wives give birth to HIV-positive children. 7-year-olds watch their siblings then their father and mother die. At some point, you're heartless to try and keep condoms from sex workers because you don't approve of what they're doing. As tired of a line as it, think of the children here.

 

[Borachio]

I'm very sorry to hear about your father.

Do you think that the reluctance of men, generally, to seek medical attention is a big problem that needs to be addressed?

And would routine HIV screening be a good idea?

 

[emzie]

I'm very sorry to hear about your father.

Do you think that the reluctance of men, generally, to seek medical attention is a big problem that needs to be addressed?

And would routine HIV screening be a good idea?

I think the reluctance to seek medical care is a problem that needs to be address regardless of any other questions!

Routine HIV screening like whenever blood is drawn, as part of a standard test kit? I think that would be a wise move. My suspicion is that my dad would still be alive today if that was standard practice in the US. He certainly had a lot of blood work done while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with him. There might have been a malpractice suit in there for how badly an easy diagnosis was missed, but it's my belief that my father was never completely open with his doctor. It's like House's refrain, people lie. Blood tests generally don't.

Specifically just giving everyone an HIV test sounds an invasive waste of resources that would mostly just foster an atmosphere of fear.

edit: just wanted to add that I keep referencing my dad because I think his death was avoidable, and if nothing else, I want to keep others from going through it. It might not be completely on topic to educating about HIV itself, but I think it's a cautionary tale for what the lack of an education about HIV can result in.

 

[Formaldehyde]

How do you feel that the Catholic Church and affiliated organisations is the largest provider of care for HIV/AIDS?

Guilt on their part for creating much of the catastrophe with their policies?

The fact of the matter is condoms aren't 100% effective in stopping pregnancies. Considering the AIDS virus is smaller than semen, it is even less effective.

They are far more effective in preventing both than not using them. Neither the AIDs virus or semen are going to penetrate a condom that has no hole or other defect.

 

[MobBoss]

Guilt on their part for creating much of the catastrophe with their policies?

Now wait a second...are you implying that homosexual men dont use condoms during high risk sex because of......the Catholic Church?

I cant wait to here this one.

Oh, and Contre...good on you for doing such volunteer work. Sorry to hear about your dad, but it seems you have taken that experience and turned it into a positive. Good for you.

 

[emzie]

Now wait a second...are you implying that homosexual men dont use condoms during high risk sex because of......the Catholic Church?

I cant wait to here this one.

The vast majority of AIDS deaths are heterosexual Africans.

 

[MobBoss]

The vast majority of AIDS deaths are heterosexual Africans.

And? Afaik, the Catholic Church helps people all over the world, not just Africa. You'll have to pardon my USA centricism, but I didnt see Forms comment as being exclusive to one continent.

 

[TomYo689]

I put the catholic church on par with the Taliban. Global oppression / destruction

 

[Grisu]

And? Afaik, the Catholic Church helps people all over the world, not just Africa. You'll have to pardon my USA centricism, but I didnt see Forms comment as being exclusive to one continent.

It wasn't exclusive to one sexual preference either...

I don't think that the church's position has much negative influence in the western countries, where most people are educated about sex. It does, however, have a non negilgable effect in the places where the HIV/AIDS situation is most dire, such as in Africa.

 

[classical_hero]

The fact of the matter is that by being chaste until marriage, as the Catholic Church states and plenty other denominations, then the spread of AIDS would be vastly. The fact that the AIDS rate amongst the homosexual community is as high as 30%, is a disgrace to that community, plus the spread of other sexual disease is vastly higher than most of the world.

 

[civ_king]

Guilt on their part for creating much of the catastrophe with their policies?

They are far more effective in preventing both than not using them. Neither the AIDs virus or semen are going to penetrate a condom that has no hole or other defect.

Including St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center?

What about inferior quality one that are old and get left in the heat like what happens in sub-Saharan Africa

 

[MobBoss]

I don't think that the church's position has much negative influence in the western countries....

Which was what I was thinking when I asked my question....

But regarding the situation in Africa, i'd say tribal beliefs, like female circumcision, and outright ignorance of how HIV is transmistted, is more to blame for those issues than say the Catholic Church.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

The fact of the matter is that by being chaste until marriage, as the Catholic Church states and plenty other denominations, then the spread of AIDS would be vastly. The fact that the AIDS rate amongst the homosexual community is as high as 30%, is a disgrace to that community, plus the spread of other sexual disease is vastly higher than most of the world.

The fact of the matter is that if people didn't drive, the road toll would be far lower.

The mortality rate amongst motorcyclists is 30% higher amongst road users, a disgrace to that community.

The spread of head trauma amongst motorcyclists in countries where they don't use helmets is vastly higher than the rest of the world.

Do I sound like a whacko? Of course I do. Your post ruthlessly exposes your prejudices my friend.