How and Why HIV Keeps Spreading

Here's an article - some may find it a little disturbing to read - that shows how and why HIV, and especially new drug resistant strains, keep spreading. This article references, the U.S., but I wouldn't be surprised if similar practices are taking place in other areas of the world.

article

Excerpt:

Public-health officials in New York City issued a warning because the patient apparently had developed a virulent form of HIV -- the organism that causes AIDS -- that was resistant to virtually all drugs and caused a rapid destruction of the man's immune system.
The original source of the infection is a patient in Connecticut who infected the New York man during anonymous rectal intercourse at a sex club in the city on Oct. 22, 2004. Within three months, the New York man was diagnosed with HIV, and his CD4 blood-cell count -- a marker of the health of his immune system -- had been reduced to double digits. A CD4 count above 500 is considered normal for healthy individuals.
Dr. Gary Blick, a private-practice physician in Norwalk, Conn., reported that his patient, identified as CT01, is the so-called "Patient Zero" -- the source of the New York man's infection.


It is amazing to me in this age of fatal sexually transmitted diseases, that anonymous sex clubs exist and that people actually go there and have unprotected sex.

Well if people continue with their risky sexual practices in this day and age with all the different types of STD's out there then they're just asking for trouble. I can't for the life of me understand why people feel the need to sleep around.

Its not even just sleeping around, the public isn't even using protection when they do this stuff. AT LEAST do that!

Originally posted by Nygdan
Its not even just sleeping around, the public isn't even using protection when they do this stuff. AT LEAST do that!

That's the part that really stunned me. Like playing russian roulette in slow motion.

Hello- I remember reading about this story when it first broke.. might have been last Dec/Jan?

Anyway, about a month ago I read an update to the story, and the NY man, who they initially thought had a totally resistant infection, is now responding to medication and is even back to work.

It was super hyped up when the story first came out, and it seems he is doing much better now. It is a sad story, but not as bad as first thought.

If I can find the update I read, I'll post a link.

Thanks for the update.

While it's a good thing that the NY man is doing well enough to be back at work, the real point of this thread is how he got the infection in the first place.

Unprotected sex in a gay sex club (especially in a major city) in this day and age is just insane behavior.

Centurion, I agree. I just wanted to point out that the NY case was not a superbug, just a different strain that required a different treatment. The media made it sound like he was the first patient of his kind to get that strain, which wasnt true. San Francisco and Boston have had similar cases.

What I also found interesting in the article posted above was that Ct01 & Ct02 both believed everyone in the club was already infected. Even if that were true, (which is a slim possibility), it is still dangerous to have sex with others that are infected, because there are so many different strains out there. I would think people already infected would know better, and have learned by now.

The disease is treatable and I think there are numerous new medications coming soon that will make it even more so, but we gotta keep those already infected and not infected safer.


**edit** mispelled Centurion's name. Sorry

[edit on 26-7-2005 by xander68]

Well, in Africa it is the republicans and the church.

In words of Rush Limbaugh
"To be a Liberal, you have to think that money will cure AIDS. Who cares? Only Africans and faggots have it so why should I care?"

And the church actions speak for themselves. Condoms? Burned over 50,000 when they found out a Europe group was sending them with insructions to help stop the spread of AIDS. Then they told the poeple of Africa that all the AIDS drugs used to fight it are evil for it is playing god so the people wouldn't use them.

As for America, again the same groups. The ones who LITERALLY teach in schools that you can get pregnant from holding hands and kissing, and AIDS from toilet seats..... They make the people so stupid they become republicans/christians themselves and well, the problem grows.

Originally posted by James the Lesser
One of the worst attempts at hijacking a thread I've ever seen on ATS.

EDIT: Oops... note to self... use the quote button not the mod edit button... D'oh!!

[edit on 7/26/2005 by Gools]

[edit on 7/26/2005 by Gools]

there should definantly be some way to ID someone with aids in a casual setting. Like a tatto or armband or something.

and if this sounds draconian, i apologize.

Originally posted by centurion1211
Thanks for the update.

While it's a good thing that the NY man is doing well enough to be back at work, the real point of this thread is how he got the infection in the first place.

Unprotected sex in a gay sex club (especially in a major city) in this day and age is just insane behavior.

Unprotected sex in a gay sex club, or a striaght sex club..or even any club is insane.

Infact having unprotected sex with anyone you do not know is insane.

[edit on 26-7-2005 by Kriz_4]

Originally posted by James the Lesser
One of the worst attempts at hijacking a thread I've ever seen on ATS.

Urm... no.

If you are truely concerned about the spread of aids then you really should look into the points brought up. In fact you should be pro-sex education all the way!

Or is the real purpose of this thread one of the worst attempts on ATS to disguise an anti-gay anti-sex pro-repressive-religion agenda?
Hmmm?

Unprotected sex with strangers in this day and age is a risk no matter who (or how) they do it with.
.

[edit on 7/26/2005 by Gools]

Originally posted by Gools

Or is the real purpose of this thread one of the worst attempts on ATS to disguise an anti-gay anti-sex pro-repressive-religion agenda?
Hmmm?(/quote]

I disagree very strongly with the implications of this comment. You have no basis for making the comment. I, on the other hand, had every right to say what I did when we were discussing what was written in an article on the transmission of HIV and not anything to do with Republicans or Christians.

Apology from moderator requested.

Unprotected sex with strangers in this day and age is a risk no matter who (or how) they do it with.

Agree with this.

[edit on 7/26/2005 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by Nygdan
Its not even just sleeping around, the public isn't even using protection when they do this stuff. AT LEAST do that!

The general public seems to be oblivious to the fact that this stuff is spread like a wild fire if they do not use the proper protection. I also surmize that those who are infected with the HIV virus seem to want to take a few more out when they go out to meet their maker. This is some scary stuff to be infected with. I saw a Vietnam Vet. not long ago and his outer skin had turned some weird red/blue and he thumped it a couple of times and it sounded like a hollow tree trunk.
If those who have it and infect another person after knowing they have it, they should be charged with murder, because in essence, they have just given the other person a death warrent.

Originally posted by Supraliminal
there should definantly be some way to ID someone with aids in a casual setting. Like a tatto or armband or something.

and if this sounds draconian, i apologize.

well the could wear a a gold 6 pointed star.
That seemed to work ok for the Nazies.

I am also glad the man who was infecte is feeling better and working again. But the new regiment of drugs he is takeing is not cure, he is still sick and will die from the desise. It is still spreding and mutating, and some day could be air born.

Sorry to bring the fact and brake the "gay link" but aids is not limited to the gay comunity you know.

Is everywhere and more in the heteroxesual group, having various partners doesn't help at all with the problem.

By the way for anybody that wants to know others sexually transmitted diseases are in the rise also, and they are not limited to gays either.

Actually the reality is that if you have sex you are at risk plain and simple.

Hard to find virgins around in this day and age.

Perhaps the government should make mandatory for everybody to carry a health card attached to the people's forehead to show if they are high risk or not. and update it every time they have sex.

More and more teens are engaging in oral sex because they think that like that they can prevent pregancies but the truth is that they are still vulnerable to STDs.

[edit on 26-7-2005 by marg6043]

"Denying ignorance" could one day entail the cessation of expressions like "the public" and "the general public" to distinguish "others" from oneself through whatever fantasy has removed oneself from "the public" and "the general public".

Nonetheless it is very sad to learn via the collective intelligence at ATS that "the public" is having unprotected sex. I wonder who buys and uses condoms and why they are made then.

I always use condoms if i have sex with someone who,s sexual history i know nothing about. I find it hard to believe people do not think there life is worth a couple of dollars for a packet of condoms. I have a friend who says "I HATE USING CONDOMS" i said back to him.... i dont suppose there is anyone who likes using condoms but you would hate catching aids or some other nasty sexual transmitted disease even more.

Originally posted by centurion1211
Unprotected sex in a gay sex club (especially in a major city) in this day and age is just insane behavior.

It's called 'chasing the bug'. Google it up. It's VERY real and it's a
high for the gay guys that do it. Some go specifically looking for
infected sexual partners.

Ref - the discussion about using protection -

Info on condoms, HIV, and failure rates - which are up to 15%.
That's STILL too big of a risk to take, imho.

www.unitedforlife.com...

Facts about HIV. ... Natural (lambskin) condoms have small pores and HIV
may be able to pass ...
www.aidscentral.com...

PLANetWIRE.org: Health Organizations and AIDS Organizations ...
"The popular claim that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs is not ...
www.planetwire.org...

The NIH Condom Report: The Glass is 90% Full
•Condom failures.
www.agi-usa.org...

The harsh reality ...area indicate almost 15 failures per 100 sexual
acts "protected" by condoms. ...
www.catholicculture.org...

HOW AND WHY AIDS keeps spreading? Because of lifestyle choices.
It's just that simple. Unprotected multiple sex partners, sharing
needles, and so on. If people would just stop those lifestyles, then
AIDS would eventually die out naturally. Yes, it can be done. It's
called SELF CONTROL. We are higher beings with reason and intellect.
We should all use it.

There are poor children who are born with it through transmission
from the mother, and there are those who get it through blood
transfusions ... but if the lifestyle that supported transmission ended,
then HIV would naturally die out as the people who have it die.

There. The problem of transmission is solved and I didn't spend
a dime of tax money to do it.


[edit on 7/28/2005 by FlyersFan]