Hiv Aids

"In the United States, most new HIV infections are the result of unprotected RAI with a risk rate of 138 per 10,000 exposures. The CDC lists in order of effectiveness (least to greatest) circumcision of adult males, male condom use, daily PrEP for HIV-negative individuals, and ART for HIV-positive individuals as strategies for the prevention of new HIV infections. Randomized clinical trials conducted among men in sub-Saharan Africa support male circumcision for reducing HIV transmission for the insertive partner during anal intercourse; however, as circumcision trials have not included a large enough number of MSM and many MSM practice both insertive and receptive anal intercourse, the CDC did not definitely conclude that male circumcision reduces risk of HIV acquisition in MSM practicing receptive anal sex."

"Through investigation of the MSM microbiome in vitro, in gnotobiotic mice, and with analysis of human MSM peripheral blood and rectosigmoid biopsies, our work confirmations MSM-specific compositional changes, with a keen interest in members of the Erysipelotrichaceae family, which influence both the systemic and colon-specific immune environments. We observed elevated T cell activation and gut homing markers in the peripheral blood and higher frequencies of the HIV co-receptor on total and activated T cells in the rectosigmoid colon. The MSM-associated microbiota may influence the risk of HIV transmission through integrin and chemokine receptor expression on T cells, thus determining the cell populations in the colon, providing greater opportunity for HIV infection upon exposure. As our understanding of the MSM microbiome influence on HIV transmission becomes clearer, there may be an opportunity for compositional manipulation through diet or pharmaceutical interventions, with a goal of reducing HIV transmission in MSM populations."

"Pope Benedict XVI has said that condom use can be justified in some cases to help stop the spread of AIDS, the Vatican’s first exception to a long-held policy banning contraceptives. The pope made the statement in interviews on a host of contentious issues with a German journalist, part of an unusual ef-fort to address some of the harshest criticisms of his turbulent papacy. The pope’s statement on condoms was extremely limited: he did not approve their use or suggest that the Roman Catholic Church was beginning to back away from its prohibition of birth control. In fact, the one example he cited as a possibly appropriate use was by male prostitutes. Still, the statement was something of a milestone for the church and a significant change for Benedict, who faced intense criticism last year when, en route to AIDS-plagued Africa, he said condom use did not help prevent the spread of AIDS, only abstinence and fidelity did."

"As individual and unpredictable as this illness seems to be, the one thing I found I could say with certainty was this: AIDS makes things more intensely what they already are."

"I’ve made three documentary films on subject of AIDS in Africa. My particular love is the country of Uganda, it’s one of the countries that I love most in the world. There was a period when Uganda had the worst incidence of HIV/AIDS in the world. But through an amazing initiative called ABC: Abstinence, Be faithful, Correct use of condoms... Those three – I am not denying that abstinence is a very good way of not getting AIDS, it really is, it works. So does being faithful, but so do condoms! And do not deny it! And this Pope not satisfied with saying: “Condoms are against our religion. Please consider first abstinence, second being faithful to your partner,” he spreads that lie that condoms actually increase the incidence of AIDS. He actually makes sure that aid is conditional on saying “no” to condoms. I have been to – there is a hospital in Bwindi in the west of Uganda where I do quite a lot of work – it is unbelievable, the pain and suffering you see."

"On December 22, 1986, finding I was body positive, I set myself a target: I would disclose my secret and survive Margaret Thatcher. I did. Now I have set my sights on the millennium and a world where we are all equal."

"“We can actually learn a lot about safety guidelines by listening to producers of porn,” said Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University. “Thinking back to the H.I.V./AIDS crisis, the adult film industry had to learn how to keep their workers safe.” He recommends following its lead by using what he calls the Four Ts: Target, Test, Treat and Trace. The adult film industry uses a nationwide program called PASS, for Performer Availability Screening Services, that requires performers to be tested every 14 days for H.I.V. and other sexually transmitted infections in order to be cleared for work. If a worker tests positive, he’s treated, and his partners are traced."

"Ethical discussions are a key component of HIV vaccine research and development, because HIV vaccines pose numerous unique ethical challenges. For example, AIDS stigma may put vaccine trial participants at psychological risk if they encounter discrimination. In addition, researchers must figure out how to provide appropriate and adequate medical care and protection from stigma for participants who screen HIV positive. And, researchers have to consider that if participants misunderstand the trial, they may think they are protected from the virus and put themselves at risk. The complexity of these issues places ethics analyses at the forefront of HIV vaccine research."

"The discovery of AIDS as a sexually transmitted disease in the 1980s brought about the popularity of condoms as a contraceptive and as a use of prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. They now could be found in most stores in Europe and America and are increasingly more common in developing countries."

"More than 80 percent of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are transmitted via sexual intercourse. And researchers may have discovered at least one reason why. According to a new study published in Cell, a component of human semen may facilitate the spread of the virus by targeting immune system cells, in some cases making the pathogen up to 100,000 times more virulent. The team of German scientists had initially set out to determine if semen contained factors that inhibit the HIV infection. "We were not expecting to find an enhancer, and we were even more surprised about the strength," says report co-author Frank Kirchhoff, a virologist at the University of Ulm Clinic in Germany. "Most enhancers have maybe a two- or three-fold effect, but here the effect was amazing—more than 50-fold and, under certain conditions, more than 100,000-fold.""

"… condoms are about as effective against AIDS as a twenty-four-chamber gun instead of a six-chamber gun when playing Russian roulette."

"HIV is still a problem worldwide, and the more we learn about what makes certain populations more susceptible to HIV, the more we can help. Understanding that biological component, whether it’s in women or in men, helps us define ways that we can help modulate that."

"HIV/AIDS is a threat that is still invisible to the Malaysian public but it is nevertheless there. Already we have lost many citizens to an otherwise preventable disease because we have not been able to see the enemy. The enemy in this case is a tiny virus whose sole survival is dependent on the ignorance and denial by many that such a virus exists. HIV has been able to take advantage of all of man's weaknesses, but specifically man's unwillingness to accept the existence of what it cannot and does not want to see. And in so doing has wreaked devastation and suffering far beyond what man has ever been able to do by himself. Consider this: in 1999, 200,000 Africans were killed due to conflict. But two million Africans died of AIDS. We may be able to see a human enemy, we may equip ourselves with expensive guns in order to fight that enemy but we cannot inflict the sort of suffering that a tiny virus can inflict. This suffering is not limited to those who have been infected. 13.2 million children around the world have become orphans because of AIDS. In some countries in Africa, life expectancies have been shortened by some 20 years and the entire demographic picture of those countries have changed. A generation, those in the young productive ages have been lost and the impact on countries cannot be easily rectified. Essentially, AIDS is an impoverishing disease for countries because it strikes at the very people who can help to develop a country. In addition, AIDS is altering the global economic scenario, perhaps in a more unfair way than globalisation itself. It is clear from the global AIDS pandemic that the countries that are suffering most from AIDS are those that are the poorest, the ones most crippled by debt, the ones least stable. In addition AIDS makes them even poorer because these countries have the least capability to provide treatment for those who have become infected. The net result is that the gap between the rich and the poor, the North and the South, becomes even wider."

"‘The body of Christ’ is a phrase Christians use to describe the whole church – all the people who believe in Jesus Christ. By sharing in one bread at Holy Communion, we believe that we stand together, in solidarity with other Christians and all people. Saying ‘the body of Christ has AIDS’ signifies that members of the Church are affected by AIDS, and that it is an issue for us to care about. We also show that people who are HIV positive should not be excluded or stigmatised, but rather they should be welcome to live a full and active part in life."

"In 2003 the Methodist Conference adopted a resolution, Notice of Motion 18, which read: “AIDS is the new apartheid. In the name of Christ the healer, who reached out to touch and comfort the marginalised of his day, Conference stands alongside all who are suffering from the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the world today. We are one body in Christ; when one suffers, we all suffer. To this end: 1. We urge the churches to speak openly and courageously about HIV/AIDS: *to embrace – and not reject – afflicted family members *to encourage persons to confesstheir HIV/AIDS positive status *to uphold sufferers in our worship, liturgy and songs *to speak openly about preventative measures including safe sex practices *to advocate for the free distribution of condoms, which save lives. 2. We urge all governments to fight HIV/AIDS: *to acknowledge the extent of HIV/AIDS in their countries * to fund education, health care, and nutrition programmes to combat the spread of the disease and to provide life-saving drugs to all persons regardless of their ability to pay, especially pregnant women and those marginalised by war, poverty, gender or age. * to pressurise pharmaceutical companies and multi-national corporations to release cheap generic drugs to the millions suffering from HIV/AIDS * to promote legislation and judicial practices that protect women and children from sexual violence and domestic abuse. 3. Conference resolves to learn from and work with our overseas partner churches.”"

"[Josh, with Henry Rios] "Do you want to?" he whispered. I raised myself on my elbow and said, "Of course I do, but I haven't carried rubbers with me since I was sixteen." "Just this once," he said. "You could pull out before - you know." I squeezed his neck between my fingers. "No," I said softly. "There's AIDS, Josh. It's not worth the risk.""

"A variety of international treaties and human rights statements support the rights of all people to seek and receive accurate sexual health information, including the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action, Cairo, 1994 and the 2003 report of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child. The latter emphasized that ‘children should have the right to access adequate information related to HIV/ AIDS prevention and care, through formal channels (e.g. through educational opportunities and child-targeted media) as well as informal channels,’ and that, ‘effective HIV/AIDS prevention requires States to refrain from censoring, withholding, or intentionally misrepresenting health-related information, including sexual education and information … State parties must ensure that children have the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others as they begin to express their sexuality’."

"I can't write about love in the same way we've been writing about it, because it ain't the same deal anymore. "You Can't Do That"'s kind of tongue in cheek about some very serious stuff. This is no joke here folks - you've got to be a little careful."

"AIDS is a world epidemic, a public-health problem that must be confronted with scientific advances and methods that have proven effective. Rejecting condom use is to oppose the fight for life."