US News: 50% Gays will be HIV+ by age 50

Assuming HIV continues to spread at current rates - and recent years do in fact confirm infections at 'steady rate' (Steady rate of new infections reference: www.cdc.gov...) - US News states half of currently college-aged homosexuals will become HIV infected by the age of 50:

www.usnews.com...

"If HIV continues to spread at current rates, half of college-aged gay men will have the infection by the age of 50"

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released startling new data that showed HIV was still plaguing the gay community. While new HIV infections had remained steady in the general public between 2008 and 2010, infections had risen by an incredible 22 percent in young gay men. Gay men represented two-thirds of new infections. And nearly 6,000 gay men were dying of AIDS every year.

The Kaiser Health Foundation recently described the problem of HIV in the city of Washington, where the HRC and many other big LGBT groups are headquartered, as "as epidemic on par with some developing nations."

"Gay and bisexual men remain at the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic," says Jonathan Mermin, the director of the CDC's division of HIV/AIDS prevention. "But HIV is not always at the top of the list of priorities for LGBT organizations."

The article above is already 6mo old but an ATS search yields on such discussion, so better late than never.

Instead of just say epidemic on par with developed nations, they could have pointed out US has the most affected by HIV outside of Africa and India, not that those two are developed; US has the highest HIV of all developed nations!(toptencollections.com...)

What irks me if there is an LGBT crisis now more than ever, with OVER HALF OF CURRENTLY COLLEGE-AGED GAYS APPARENTLY DESTINED TO BE INFECTED WITH HIV BY THE TIME THEY REACH 50yo, what does that say two fold:

1.- The LGBT organizations do not always put HIV prevention at the top of their priorities?

2.- What is the current social mechanism in place in the homosexually active community, that now THE MAJORITY OF HOMOSEXUALS IN AMERICA WILL GO OUT AND GET HIV INFECTED BY AGE 50?

I mean, I would think with all the stigma against HIV, wouldn't the majority of men who have sex with men now take effective measures to prevent becoming a statistic and prevent passing it on to yet more others? Or at least, to realize that if they get HIV then their unprotected sex life is over even if/when they do meet a monogamous partner to live out the rest of their lives with as most adults in our society do?

Which begs the question: With the HIV Crisis now at 30years and counting in America, and still tens of thousands of new infections every year in America, has the GLBT sexually-identified community/majority at large - thru their actions identiy behavior and practice - given up on eradicating this STD, and instead, embraced it as part of the ongoing 'lifestyle' and thus, focused on activism against the stigma of America's growing HIV population.. and apparently, acceptance to the point now that the majority of homosexuals will 'come down' with HIV by their late adulthood, passing it on as par for course in the current state of the community, as opposed to just take the preventative measures in behavior so to eliminate the spread?

Most of them will be on their third marriage by then. That's all that matters to them right now.

reply to post by gardener


Perhaps 50% of now college-aged gays will be infected, but we have to remember that people are being born all the time, some gay some not...so this has to be remembered too that it doesn't mean that 50% of all gay people will be HIV+ by then, just those alive and of college age now. (i didn't mean 'just' like that btw, i'm not a monster!)

This could well be a reflection of the failure of HIV and AIDs awareness campaigns...being a victim of their own success.

Human beings are the same the world over, whether they are gay or straight...if a subject is repeated often enough, loud enough and for long enough...we tend to begin to ignore what is being said...this is true of most subjects, even things that could ultimately end up killing a great deal of people, like HIV and AIDS.

We just tune out to the message...it sounds glib to say it, but people on a certain level get bored with hearing the warnings and the patronising phrases, however well intentioned those messages are. The perception of risk goes down, people become desensitised to dangers and safety takes a back seat...and more people become infected.

Maybe the lesson is, ease off on the lessons?

reply to post by Hoosierdaddy71


Just couldn't pass up opportunity to insert gay marriage quip?

Gay marriage comes with lots of legal goodies that heteros take for granted, like their partner's medical insurance. Not saying this is the biggest issue in the gay community but it is a large part of it. Where I am to get fully tested for STDs it costs around 400 dollars. That's not always feasible for college aged men.

Either way in regard to the OP I think what will eventually happen is that healthcare will become so outrageously overpriced that it will mean many of the men will no longer be able to get HIV medication. That will result in it becoming a deathly illness again instead of an inconvenience.

It's definitely a huge problem in the gay community that seems to be on the back burner. A lot of that has to do with the medications now making it manageable. It's like anything that can be managed with drugs, it means people don't take steps necessary to fix the problem. Same thing has happened with high blood pressure, obesity, etc. etc.

I think there are some steps that could be taken to greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections.

1. More testing, especially among young men. I find it ridiculous that they require meningitis shots for people entering college yet blood work is a big no no. Men who know they are HIV positive are usually far more careful, and the men who date them are far more careful as well. Testing is a huge part of fighting this.

2. Increased advertising for female condom use.

3. Increased use of Truvada among high risk groups.

4. Less homophobia in black community. Less homophobia among men in general. Less than 4% of men identify as LGBT yet MSM transmission makes up nearly 80% of new infections of HIV in men. Talk about denial.

5. Increased social support from family and society.

6. Increased alcohol and drug programs for GLBTs

All of these things I think will increase over time. I would bet within 10 years the rate of infection will actually decrease. I would bet money on it if I could. The reason for this is that issues like gay marriage won't be on the forefront and the gay community will be forced to start focusing on HIV.

Also due to gay marriage more men will have access to programs and medical insurance as a result of being married. Not to mention that marriage tends to keep you tied to one person.

AIDS is actually one of the cornerstones of the LGBT education movements. It is constantly suggested that gay men/women get tested and because they are more likely to get tested, they account for more new infections per year.

Straight people hardly bother with HIV testing at all. Either way it's clearly still a problem. Although its really ridiculous to poster that 50% of us will have HIV by age 50. This all leads back to affordable healthcare as well tough and properly educating our children about sex, std's and how to avoid them.

Kids are going to have sex.

Period.

All we can do is educate them.

~Tenth

OrphanApology
reply to post by Hoosierdaddy71

 

Just couldn't pass up opportunity to insert gay marriage quip?

Gay marriage comes with lots of legal goodies that heteros take for granted, like their partner's medical insurance. Not saying this is the biggest issue in the gay community but it is a large part of it. Where I am to get fully tested for STDs it costs around 400 dollars. That's not always feasible for college aged men.

Either way in regard to the OP I think what will eventually happen is that healthcare will become so outrageously overpriced that it will mean many of the men will no longer be able to get HIV medication. That will result in it becoming a deathly illness again instead of an inconvenience.

It's definitely a huge problem in the gay community that seems to be on the back burner. A lot of that has to do with the medications now making it manageable. It's like anything that can be managed with drugs, it means people don't take steps necessary to fix the problem. Same thing has happened with high blood pressure, obesity, etc. etc.

I think there are some steps that could be taken to greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections.

1. More testing, especially among young men. I find it ridiculous that they require meningitis shots for people entering college yet blood work is a big no no. Men who know they are HIV positive are usually far more careful, and the men who date them are far more careful as well. Testing is a huge part of fighting this.

2. Increased advertising for female condom use.

3. Increased use of Truvada among high risk groups.

4. Less homophobia in black community. Less homophobia among men in general. Less than 4% of men identify as LGBT yet make up nearly 80% of new infections of HIV in men. Talk about denial.

5. Increased social support from family and society.

6. Increased alcohol and drug programs for GLBTs

All of these things I think will increase over time. I would bet within 10 years the rate of infection will actually decrease. I would bet money on it if I could. The reason for this is that issues like gay marriage won't be on the forefront and the gay community will be forced to start focusing on HIV.

Also due to gay marriage more men will have access to programs and medical insurance as a result of being married. Not to mention that marriage tends to keep you tied to one person.

Actually I'm pro gay marriage, thanks for askin.
Why should hetros be the only ones suffering?

Marriage is a legal contract that clergy can oversee. It takes a judge to nullify the contract, hence not a religious thing.

Now that's one hell of a contrast. Our fellow brothers (and sisters) are fighting hard - and progressing - for the sake of equal rights, with as it stands 17 states now offically recognizing same-sex marriage, and 33 states remaining with a ban against same-sex marriage.. that's progress!

gaymarriage.procon.org...

17 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 33 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans

But, marriage is a long term commitment. Currently statistics - the steady rate of increase in the HIV population in America by tens of thousands more each and everyyear - suggests something other than long-term is going on, and US News prediction of over 50% by age 50 in light of CDC statistics (22% men who have sex with men currently HIV+) indeed paints a picture of a non longterm majority in America's homosexuals.

I just don't get it why action still isn't being takin on the risky actions indulged in. What's to lose? The very immune system your life depends on, buddies! How do you hope to be married happily ever after when you can't even unprotected with your life partner/legal spouse.., lest you both are HIV+ by the time you turn 50 'anyways

Oh wow. What about if we factor in the those that are active participants in this lifestyle yet have a wife and family at home? Since they are not identifying as gay, they won't be part of the percentage, but often times will still be meeting up with strangers for horseplay, with a chance of getting HIV that I'd bet my lucky socks on. Maybe a little responsibility and self control could help temper this dilemma, especially considering there is plenty of information available about how if you have tons of unprotected anal sex with many different partners you stand a very substantial risk at contracting this virus? Maybe?

reply to post by Hoosierdaddy71


It's just a legal contract.

That's why I am always amazed that rich men will marry without insisting on a prenup. I've never understood it.

Used to have a friend who was a nice guy but generally dumb when around women. Wound up getting caught up with some 22 year old and she nearly wiped him clean after five years. I had told him to get prenup but he didn't listen.

Marriage has a lot of goodies that are enticing but it can definitely make you miserable as well.

Obviously sodomy is not a healthy lifestyle.

reply to post by OrphanApology


Marriage is something different to everyone. I've been married for a wonderful 19+ years. But in the end it's just a legal contract between two people.

This is what occurred to me... when reading this.

A clever depopulation method introduced into a certain segment of humanity that is a small but growing percentage of the whole?

Now - bare with me here. But homosexuality has risen in recent decades due to it being accepted and brought out into the open. Now as homosexuality increases, because more and more feel safe enough to come forward with who they really are... an uncontrolled disease is infecting them more and more....

Clever... eugenicists. Very diabolically, clever.... and you know, I didn't see it before. This thread brought me to the thought... that there is a "Gay Agenda" but it's not the LGBT's agenda as Christians shout... the agenda is against them - not perpetrated by them. And I do hope they all get what they deserve, those people responsible for introducing this into the LGBT community at such rates as to infect half of them!!!

As to the problem. I guess, the only thing we can do is work on awareness within the LGBT community, and work with them to try and lessen/stop the infection rate. I've worked as a nurse and took care of a few people in PCU getting ready to pass from AIDS. It's heartbreaking.

When I was teen, I struggled with whether I like boys or girls. I think everyone does. Even if they don't admit it.

CdT

tothetenthpower
Although its really ridiculous to poster that 50% of us will have HIV by age 50.
~Tenth

Did you just slip out of the closet?


Just messing with ya as I don't care either way. Just had to have some fun with that. Besides 83.56 of all statistics are made up anyway.

HUMBLEONE
Obviously sodomy is not a healthy lifestyle.

Almost every human action, done without proper safety precautions, would qualify to that.

Cross a road lately? Extremely unhealthy if done without due care.

reply to post by gardener


This sounds to me like a study being pushed out by the pharmaceutical company Gilead who has spent months paying off errr giving large advertising commitments to LGBT: bloggers, "news" sites, dating sites and even gay porn companies in order to push their expensive Truvada PReP drug which claims that it will prevent HIV although some clinical studies demonstrate that it's effectiveness is as low as 63% (and that's when people actually follow the dosage guidelines). It's a very disgusting for a pharmaceutical company to try to up their profits by paying off people to get them to use a drug that is not proven to be effective.

Makes me wonder if Gilead somehow funded this CDC study...

It's not just gays they have sex with. They have sex with bisexuals, heterosexuals, so it's a risk to the entire world really.
AIDS doesn't seem to get any attention anymore.

If this is the case of how it will spread, then it's time NOW to start a campaign on prevention. Oh no wait... Can't do that, they will be offended that they re being labelled, stereotyped, stigmatized as aids carriers.

This study is just proof that people are to lazy or stupid to take care of their bodies. Wear a condom! That doesn't just apply to gays. How many people believe that all those pregnant teens got pregnant losing their virginity? They are not protecting themselves any better than the gay community.

Aroung here, well just northwest of here, in WestLA, theres quite a few homosexual colleagues of mine who exclusively have sexual interludes with 'straight' men, most of them married to women.

It's like its a new niche in the polysexual community. Alot of it short-term no doubt. I dont say polyamorous, since it's not relationships, just physical activities from the frolicky sound of the encounters.

I doubt all the studies, such as the one that found 1 in 5 men who have sex with men, are HIV+ and didnt know, as well as this one, are just paid for by someone. Look around, look at current drug shortages in specifically immunosupportive medications - why are so, so many people suffering from weakened immune systems?

www.medpagetoday.com...

Homosexuality isn't a ticking time bomb; it's been around since the Stone Ages and as common througout history as lefthandedness, due to the similar difference in developmental brain wiring (abcnews.go.com...).. HIV acceptance as a rite of passage into American gay adult life, is.

reply to post by Hoosierdaddy71


I think that you make a good point in your comment. There seems to be only a faux sense of social-responsibility on the part of many LGBTers. They are not showing themselves to be serious people, or even serious about anything. Math doesn't lie.

reply to post by OrphanApology


I think it takes more than getting tested. I think that the issue of sexual promiscuity should be addressed. There seems to be no type of protection against anal sex, but they should be willing to try other things that don't have such a high risk of transmission.