Aids, is it nature thinning the herd ?

[Doomer]

Can't help but notice all the media attention about Aids in other countries, particularly third world countries and the former Soviet Union.

As it seems to have gotten worst over time and there still doesn't seem to be an effective weapon to fight it with. Are a good percentage of us going to die ?

Just wonderin' ?

 

[Stark]

keep your pee pee away from the wrong places, and you'll be just fine.

 

[Killbat]

It's just another illness, it just happens to be a particularly nasty one.

 

[Moonbeam]

In parts of Africa, the percentages are already staggering.

 

[compuwiz1]

50% of parts of africa will not survive a decade. It's bad, with 25% already infected, from what I read somewhere.

 

[Shuxclams]

Here in america the fastest growing group of AIDS victims is in the teenage crowds in rural and suburban southeast, so all those tele-vangilist's who decried AIDS as "God's punishment" will now watch thier flock die like I watched they gay community do in the 80's, so much for sex education.............


SHUX

 

[CyberSax]

AIDS has been contained quite effectively here in the U.S. I think the numbers of reported AIDS cases have been declining here for quite some time.

The countries that will be hit hardest are places that have very liberal sexual practices (like Africa).

As long as you avoid sex with prostitutes, sharing needles with drug users, and one night stands with people you meet in bars, you don't have to worry about getting AIDS.

 

[compuwiz1]

People who think it's just the sex causing it need to get some more education.

 

[dennilfloss]

The number of AIDS cases is starting to rise again in the gay population because so many are now suffering from what is being called 'safer-sex fatigue'. After 20 years of practising it all the time, they are starting to become more less stringent in its implementation and get infected. Some also are reverting to the 'it won't happen to me' philosophy.

Sad.

No Souvenirs (Melissa Etheridge)

 

[Mday]

it's not thinning when it kills everyone... without prejudice.

strange thing is, AIDS does not KILL. it just allows one to die... so readily...

 

[Mday]

so many people.

 

[ltk007]

Anyone ever see And the Band Played on. Its amazing how a small epidemic rose to such a widespread disease. If only we had known earlier.

 

[ltk007]

Anyone ever see And the Band Played on. Its amazing how a small epidemic rose to such a widespread disease. If only we had known earlier.

 

[IvoryGrail]

add the fact that now idiots are putting infected needles at gas stations(under the handle) and other evil deeds......

 

[drboogie]

<add the fact that now idiots are putting infected needles at gas stations(under the handle) and other evil deeds......>

That is just an urban legend ... along with needles in movie theater seats, in children's play ball pits, and in sand boxes ...

 

[dennilfloss]

Yup. Those brown cylinders in sand boxes aren't needles. They're Snack Bars, O'Henrys and Sweet Marys.

Paper Bag (Fiona apple)

 

[stomp]

A lot of people have sex. Some people have a lot of sex while infected not knowing it. This leaves two major options that would yield a significant demise to AIDS: 1) have contraceptives available to everyone (and hopefully remove the stigma from getting contraception... one of the bigger barriers to preventive measures in the states) and implement a way of testing for HIV in the privacy of one's home; 2) NOT HAVE SEX (of ANY kind involving more than one person)!!!

Ideally people would choose #2, but I just don't see that happening... especially with the social stigma of sex being broken down every day a little bit at a time.

 

[CyberSax]

Condoms were designed to be contraceptives. They only reduce the chance that you'll catch an STD by about 50%, because in a sexual intercourse there happens to be a lot more... err.. contact in other places. To go around telling people that condom usage prevents one from getting AIDS would be a lie, and would cause a lot more people catch the fatal disease.

If you want to be safe - and this is a necessity if you happen to be a gay male - you have to get yourself and your partner tested before you have sex.

 

[BigToque]

I got a question...

When people are having sex, and 1 of the people has the AIDS virus, how exactly is the disease transfered?

 

[DAM]

you know thats a good question, that i know of you are not 100% guaranteed that you will get aids, however this does not mean yeah [/b]fuck[/b] like a mad man, its such a scary things, i have an uncle who has aids, man, it really scares you, specially when you see him and see the things he is going through




dam()

 

[WombatWoman]

how exactly is the disease transfered?

AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV.) In an infected person, this virus is present in blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, and can enter the bloodstream of an unprotected sexual partner through tiny cracks in the skin or mucosae. The use of condoms makes such transmission less likely, but the only &quot;safe sex&quot; is with someone who has tested negative for HIV, and who has had no new partners since the test.

 

[Imaginer]

<< Aids, is it nature thinning the herd ? >>



The way I see it yet it might be too harsh because I really do not want it like that is it is not thinning the herd. I think that maybe since this disease did not show up until recent times and widespread too is that maybe since the world is getting too big, destiny forseen by a higher being, many people have lack of sense, those people are the ones who will do some (sorry for using this word) stupid things and sometimes would get themselves nicked in the dust....

That is the impression I get from the title.

Now on for the discussion.

Safe sex? There is no way to get everyone unhooked from the pleasure of their human nature. But that is worse is that even though supplying the mass populace with safety measures, who would pay for it? There is no other solution.

Going back to what had originally popped in my mind, this looks to me like nature has fought back. Nature is mysterious at times.

But I wish I had never though of that. Like I said, It is impossible to stop people and it is impossible to raise such funds. And keep raising funds for everyone.

 

[Passions]

wow he got away with saying the FWORD!!!

 

[Dougster]

I can't see how AIDS can be said to be thinning the herd, as it indiscriminately infects anyone.

A stronger argument could be put forward for cancer being nature's way of thinning the heard. There's strong evidence suggesting the presence of deep and shallow ends of the gene pool (and immune systems). Those at the shallow ends are in natures eyes, the weaker, and also are more likely to contract cancer. Those at the deeper end are &quot;the fittest&quot; in the eyes of nature and will do better for the species, they are also far less likely to contract cancer at normal background radiation levels.

It's also interesting how cancer seems to target the reproductive organs most readily. Whether they be the testes, the ovaries, the breasts or the prostate gland.

This make me feel just great, as I've lost two members of my &quot;upstream&quot; family to cancer in the last two years, and I'm simply products of their genes.

[edit]Spelling, as pointed out below.[/edit]

 

[drboogie]

<I can't see how AIDS can be said to be thinning the heard, as it indiscriminately infects anyone.>

AIDS is not indiscriminate and it also doesn't affect those with loud voices any more than anyone else. AIDS infects those who engage in high risk activities. People have a choice whether to participate in these high risk activities or not. I know there have been some cases where it was indiscriminate, like in blood transfusions before blood screening was improved, but for the most part, you know if you are at risk or not.