AIDS appears to be making an alarming comeback. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the incidence of H.I.V. infection among gay men is shooting up, following an encouraging period of decline. The rise of infections among younger gay men, especially black and Hispanic men, is troubling, and the study carries the clear implication that people at high risk of contracting the disease are becoming less cautious.
Statistics gathered by New York City health officials show that new diagnoses of H.I.V. infection ”” the virus that causes AIDS ”” in gay men under age 30 rose 32 percent between 2001 and 2006. Among black and Hispanic men, the figure was 34 percent. Most troubling, the number of new diagnoses among the youngest men in the study, those between ages 13 and 19, doubled.
New York officials say increased alcohol and drug use may be partly responsible since they make unprotected sex more likely. Other basic precautions, including finding out whether a potential partner is infected, are also apparently being ignored.
I will consider posting comments on this article submitted first by email to Kendall’s E-mail: KSHarmon[at]mindspring[dot]com–KSH.
From AM:
I was studying for my Masters in Public Health degree back in 1987-1988 when the full scope of the AIDS crisis was becoming clear. We had a lot of discussions at the time as to the effectiveness of behavior change / education campaigns and what might happen if/when there was effective “treatment” for AIDS…
I believe much of the decline in preventive measures and caution is due to the fact that many now perceive that it is possible to “live with” AIDS, that it isn’t all that different from chronic lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease. But of course, those parallels are not really so apt. Diabetes and heart disease ( i.e. high blood pressure / high cholesterol, etc.) can be greatly alleviated and even to some extent reversed by a change in lifestyle (diet, exercise). AIDS is much more devastating and AIDS sufferers depend on a toxic cocktail of expensive drugs to stay alive. I’m thinking of something you posted recently as well about the quality of life of long-term AIDS patients. Those who may have lived with the disease for 20 years now. It is exacting a HUGE toll on our medical system and social services (and ministries) in many cities. What a shame that we as a culture tend to look to medicine and science as our salvation (AIDS is no big deal, there are drugs to treat it….) instead of continuing to focus on prevention… the best prevention of course being living according to our Creator’s intent and standards!