Education is definitely the key to prevention, and it's unfortunate that this person would be telling people that it's virtually impossible to get it with heterosexual sex. It's like said person is saying, "Go ahead and have all the hetero sex you want, as you aren't going to contract it anyway." Sheesh!
Physically, all it takes is a tear. A tear where the virus can enter the body. With this in mind, that's why homosexual activity makes people more susceptible, but that doesn't mean that heterosexual activity can't transmit it as well. And I'm not going to go into details, but if you think about the two actions, with regard to a tear, you will understand what I mean. Tears are more likely with the one compared to the other, and this is why the chances of contracting it are higher with the former compared to the latter. It's not that women's blood is any different than a man's blood, or the infection in a gay person is any more virulent and harsh than in a straight person, it's just simple friction physics.
You also would think that the prevalence of new HIV infections in developed countries would be very small, but people still do VERY risky things. It's sad. No one has to get HIV.
With regard to third world countries...that's a different story. I remember an incident, and this is not a joke in the least bit, where health workers were showing people, somewhere in Africa, how condoms work. They were using broom handles and such to demonstrate. They later found out that the people were putting the condoms on the broom handles and such before having sex, thinking it was some type of magical thing that would protect them. That's funny, but in reality, sad. Education in these types of places can be very difficult, as many of the people don't trust the health care workers and have indigenous beliefs.
Oh well, perhaps one day there will truly be a cure, but then again, perhaps not, as the pharma companies won't be able to make billions off of continued treatment meds if it is cured. Sad, but true.
The plural of mouse is mice. The plural of goose is geese. Why is the plural of moose not meese?
reply
share
Afilmman
10 years ago
How can something be sad and funny at the same time? I laughed and then I was horrified at my laughter. Then I felt guilty but then I started laughing again... and well...Rinse, Repeat.
Yes Education is more important than anything. It's like the last five minutes of Charlie Wilson's War.
But that story... just too much.
-------------------
Suspension of disbelief is a privilege, not a right. Abuse at your own Peril.
reply
share
Gabe1972
10 years ago
Eh, don't feel guilty about laughing. On the surface it's hilarious, but deep down it's a very sad thing. But that doesn't mean laughter can't happen even in the most dire of situations. It's human to laugh. Now to laugh at their true misfortune in this terrible disease...that's another story, and I don't think anyone would laugh at that. But the initial thought of them putting them on brooms is pretty darn funny.
When my mother, who has been in the health care industry for years, told me about this and pointed me to the article, I thought she was joking. I laughed for quite some time. It's sometimes hard to remember that there are so many people that are very different from us and have very different beliefs, so when you hear about something like this it's comical, but when you really think about it, it's completely understandable that they would do this, and in a way, the health care workers probably should have contemplated something like this happening. Alas, but it gives us a moment of humor in a sad topic.
The plural of mouse is mice. The plural of goose is geese. Why is the plural of moose not meese?
reply
share