NationStates Jolt Archive

If everyone is having sex, and one group represents 60 percent of the cases of syphillis in the US (up from 7 percent of the total number of cases), what are they doing differently?

I mean, in this age of safe sex, etc. Wearing a condom, etc.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2007-05-04T170053Z_01_N04373052_RTRUKOC_0_US-SYPHILIS-USA.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Syphilis has risen sharply among gay and bisexual men in the United States this decade, driving up the country's rate for the disease and placing these men at higher risk for AIDS, federal health officials say.

Since dropping to the lowest level on record in 2000, the U.S. rate of syphilis, a sexually transmitted bacterial disease, has risen steadily, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said on Friday.

The rate rose five years in a row through 2005, the most recent year for which the CDC had figures.

Gay and bisexual men accounted for 7 percent of syphilis cases in 2000 but more than 60 percent in 2005, CDC experts estimated.

What, did they all suddenly decide to stop using condoms? Stop getting tested for STDs and suddenly become far more promiscuous than usual?

Since syphillis also goes hand in hand with increased risk of HIV infection and AIDS, are they willingly courting death?

Or do many people believe that somehow, AIDS is no longer a real threat in Western countries, now that some drugs seem to hold off the progress of the disease?

"Among these men, there seems to be decreased condom use, perhaps related to an attitude of 'I already have HIV, so why bother?' or because HIV is seen as a chronic disease that can be managed well with medications," Ginsberg said.

and

Ghanem of Johns Hopkins faulted the gay and bisexual community, public health leaders and the medical establishment for failing to get across a message of prevention, citing "safe-sex fatigue" after the advent of powerful AIDS drugs in the 1990s.

"Once these wonder drugs came along, patients no longer saw HIV as a death sentence, and clinicians unfortunately became more lackadaisical about conveying prevention messages," Ghanem said.

so looks like a combo of lack of condom use, as well as faith in miracle drugs.

To be perfectly honest, if they're not willing to take the precautionary measures necessary to prevent it, then whose fault is it that they got infected?

Well, there's also the possibility of other stuffs going on. I'm not sure how often the prisons hand out condoms. I'm not saying going to prison automatically means prison sex (or rape, something I question being as rampant as media would like us to believe), but if you're into it, it's likely going to happen. There's also drugs to take into consideration. If you're high on meth or whatever, are you really going to be worrying about a condom?

To be perfectly honest, if they're not willing to take the precautionary measures necessary to prevent it, then whose fault is it that they got infected?

Obviously, not their fault. It's the government's fault, or someone else's fault, or the result of some grand conspiracy...

To be perfectly honest, if they're not willing to take the precautionary measures necessary to prevent it, then whose fault is it that they got infected?

wasn't there a case where a person infected with AIDS had unprotected sex with others... and he was charged with a crime (attempted murder or something) because he knew that he was infected and purposely did not use protection.

Obviously, not their fault. It's the government's fault, or someone else's fault, or the result of some grand conspiracy...
And I'm sure you have loads of examples of gay activists making just such a claim about this situation. I'll wait....

And I'm sure you have loads of examples of gay activists making just such a claim about this situation. I'll wait....

I guess you missed the protests for years at NIH, claiming that the government wasn't doing enough...

or the claims that AIDS was a government run conspiracy against gay men...

sure, you'll deny it ever happened...

wasn't there a case where a person infected with AIDS had unprotected sex with others... and he was charged with a crime (attempted murder or something) because he knew that he was infected and purposely did not use protection.


Yes, it was I think around 10 years ago. He knew he was infected and deliberately infected I believe at least 7 women with HIV.

As to whether or not he was convicted, I believe so, but I can't be sure.

I guess you missed the protests for years at NIH, claiming that the government wasn't doing enough...

or the claims that AIDS was a government run conspiracy against gay men...

sure, you'll deny it ever happened...What part of "this situation" did you not understand? I mean, I know you deliberately misunderstand me whenever you can, but this wasn't even that difficult.

I guess you missed the protests for years at NIH, claiming that the government wasn't doing enough...

or the claims that AIDS was a government run conspiracy against gay men...

sure, you'll deny it ever happened...

geez i know you are just being trollish but really, what do protests from 20 years ago have to do with NOW?

and what makes you think that anyone would deny reality?

If the number of cases are up, it probably means that MORE people got tested. Even if the rate of condom use had gone down, if people didn't get tested, the numbers wouldn't change drastically. When people do get tested, you get a broader sense of how wide-spread a certain disease is.

geez i know you are just being trollish but really, what do protests from 20 years ago have to do with NOW?

and what makes you think that anyone would deny reality?Uhm.. It's what rightwing authoritarians do?

Uhm.. It's what rightwing authoritarians do?

No, it's what Authoritarians do. RW, LW, all the same.

Uhm.. It's what rightwing authoritarians do?

well

yes

but i try to block out of my mind the times i have heard the sean hannity show on the radio...

and



so looks like a combo of lack of condom use, as well as faith in miracle drugs.Sounds about right. You don't even hear about syphilis anymore, pretty much only AIDS. Efforts to protect against AIDS are different than protection against syphilis, and so safer sex (AIDS related) is different than safe sex (syphilis related) in some ways.

Sounds about right. You don't even hear about syphilis anymore, pretty much only AIDS. Efforts to protect against AIDS are different than protection against syphilis, and so safer sex (AIDS related) is different than safe sex (syphilis related) in some ways.

which is really strange since the same methods for preventing Syphilis is the same as preventing AIDS

which is really strange since the same methods for preventing Syphilis is the same as preventing AIDSIf you're talking about condom use, then yes. However, oral sex has a very low risk, if any, of transmitting AIDS. People who don't want to use condoms but still have sex can have oral sex without much risk of transmitting AIDS. Syphilis, on the other hand, can be transmitted via oral sex easily.

If you're talking about condom use, then yes. However, oral sex has a very low risk, if any, of transmitting AIDS. People who don't want to use condoms but still have sex can have oral sex without much risk of transmitting AIDS. Syphilis, on the other hand, can be transmitted via oral sex easily.

...

not exactly what I was thinking... but with the advent of 'flavored' condoms... :p

and didn't the article mention something about the high number of Syphillis infected people that are HIV positive?

...

not exactly what I was thinking... but with the advent of 'flavored' condoms... :p

and didn't the article mention something about the high number of Syphillis infected people that are HIV positive?There seems to be a symbiotic relationship there, yes. People with HIV feel that safe sex is pointless, so they contract syphilis, while having syphilis increases the likelihood of contracting HIV.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS BEING POSTED FOR HUMOUR VALUE ONLY.
IT DOES NOT REFLECT MY ACTUAL BELIEFS!
Is it because Fred Phelps is right? :eek:
I need a puppet to make posts like this with :(