Gay, bi men 50 times more likely to have HIV

[Danno 1,228]

How is this still possible after 25 years of education and Billions spent "getting out the message"?

Gay, bi men 50 times more likely to have HIV

CDC reports hard data at National HIV Prevention Conference

By DYANA BAGBY

Aug. 28, 2009

ATLANTA — Gay and bisexual men account for half of new HIV infections in the U.S. and have AIDS at a rate more than 50 times greater than other groups, according to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention data presented at the National HIV Prevention Conference this week in Atlanta.

Dr. Amy Lansky of the CDC presented research at the Aug. 24 plenary in which the CDC estimated in the U.S. there were 692.2 new HIV cases in 2007 per 100,000 men who have sex with men.

While the CDC data has continually reported gay and bisexual men and other MSM of all races as the groups with the highest numbers of new HIV cases each year, AIDS activists said this was the first time the CDC clearly stated with a concrete rate how the disease is impacting gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men are also the only risk group in which new infections are increasing.

“They have never converted the numbers into a rate,” said Walt Senterfitt of the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project. Senterfitt is an epidemiologist.

“It’s not like this is totally new information. But they are saying now that gay, bisexual and other MSM are 50 times more likely to have AIDS than women and non-gay or bisexual men. This is a new statement. We weren’t able to make that equivalent before. We can now compare apples to apples. We represent the largest proportion.”

The CDC estimates gay and bisexual men make up about four to six percent of the population. When the CDC reports on African-American women, it says black women have an HIV infection rate that is nearly 15 times higher than that of white women. And Hispanics, who make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, account for 17 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.

According to a 2006 CDC report, 13,230 white MSM were estimated to be newly infected with HIV, followed by African-American MSM at 10,130 and then black heterosexual women at 7,340 new infections. The CDC estimates more than 56,000 Americans become infected each year; throughout the HIV Prevention Conference, the CDC stressed that number represents one person every nine-and-a-half minutes.

“If you ask 10 people in this room,” Senterfitt said at the conference with hundreds of people in attendance, “it’s likely only one person will answer correctly [that white MSM are the hardest hit by HIV].

“I think the CDC is finally trying to put out accurate information so the community can collectively respond — and these numbers help to show that HIV/AIDS never left the gay community.”

Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention at the CDC, said in opening remarks at the conference Aug. 23 that “gay and bisexual men account for half of new infections and are at greatest risk.”

But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.

President Barack Obama’s new Office of National AIDS Policy has the mission of putting HIV/AIDS in the U.S. back on the radar after, as many speakers said at the conference, the country has become complacent about the disease.

“We are at a turning point as a country. Either we choose to get used to HIV/AIDS … to accept that it is a permanent feature of society … to be satisfied with lengthening lives instead of saving them, or we decide to double our efforts and start bringing the number of new infections down,” said U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius on Monday.

“President Obama has chosen the second course, by calling on us to focus our efforts to reducing HIV incidence, getting people living with HIV into care and working to reduce HIV-related disparities,” she said.

As Sebelius prepared to speak, approximately a dozen activists with Atlanta-based SisterLove Inc., the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and CHAMP went to the front of the stage chanting and holding up signs reading, “People fighting HIV/AIDS stand up for healthcare reform.” They urged attendees to call their representatives in Congress. Sebelius clapped as the crowd of hundreds also stood and applauded.

Sebelius said in her speech that while the global fight against HIV/AIDS has been an ambitious one, the fight against the preventable disease in the U.S. has suffered from complacency.

“PEPFAR [the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] has been a great success. But while we’ve made strides in Africa and around the world, our progress toward ending the disease here in the U.S. has stalled.

“Because HIV infection is fatal if not treated — and its transmission can be prevented with proven interventions — this isn’t just a statistic. It’s a tragedy,” she said.

Prevention targeted with national strategy

Sebelius also noted that gay and bisexual men, as well as African Americans and Latinos, continue to be hardest hit by the disease in the U.S. Steps are being taken by the Obama administration to target these populations specifically, she said.

“We’re targeting our efforts at high-risk groups like African Americans. Today, African Amer-icans make up just a tenth of the population. But they account for nearly half of new HIV infections. One in 30 African-American women will be diagnosed in her lifetime. One in 16 African-American men will be diagnosed with HIV. In 2005, the CDC reported that in five major cities, almost half of all African-American gay men were HIV positive. The situation is also dire for Latinos,” she said.

“Think about that. Imagine if it were half the straight white women in Atlanta. Wouldn’t we be calling this a national emergency? Shouldn’t we be?” she said to a cheering crowd.

These numbers are what prompted President Obama to form the first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy that calls for reducing new infections, ensuring those with HIV/AIDS have access to care and reducing disparities, she added.

“This strategy comes at an important moment. At a time when more Americans than ever are living with HIV/AIDS — an estimated 1.1 million — fewer Americans are worrying about it,” she said.

As part of her speech Monday, Sebelius also announced she appointed CARE President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle to be chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS, also known as PACHA.

Gayle worked for the CDC for 20 years focusing primarily on combating HIV/AIDS through research, programs and policy. She was appointed as the first director of the National Center for HIV, STD & TB Prevention.

While with the CDC, Gayle also served as the AIDS coordinator and chief of the HIV/AIDS division for the U.S. Agency for International Development. She then went on to direct the HIV, TB & Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation before joining CARE in 2006.

Many conference speakers, including ranking officials with the CDC, said getting rid of stigma, including homophobia, against those with HIV/AIDS is also a crucial part in reducing incident rates.

At a meeting with reporters, Jeff Crowley, the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, said the Obama administration is dedicated to lifting the HIV-positive immigration and travel ban this year. The CDC and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services held a public comment period from July 2 to Aug. 17.

Sebelius said 20,000 comments were received and now officials will go through them.

[alienlovechild 75]

“If you ask 10 people in this room,” Senterfitt said at the conference with hundreds of people in attendance, “it’s likely only one person will answer correctly [that white MSM are the hardest hit by HIV].

When did MSM become the word for those into that lifestyle?

But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.

That's pretty bad but I'm guessing it's the younger guys that figure AIDS is treatable and not the quick death sentence in was in 1980s. I remember back then we were told AIDS would rapidly into the straight community but it didn't happen.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

“If you ask 10 people in this room,” Senterfitt said at the conference with hundreds of people in attendance, “it’s likely only one person will answer correctly [that white MSM are the hardest hit by HIV].

When did MSM become the word for those into that lifestyle?

But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.

That's pretty bad but I'm guessing it's the younger guys that figure AIDS is treatable and not the quick death sentence in was in 1980s. I remember back then we were told AIDS would rapidly into the straight community but it didn't happen.

I was confused too. It's a CDC shortcut for Men who have Sex with Men. Where are the stats for IV and other drug users that also exchange body fluids? Also, that stat for the percentage of the male polulation that engages in, or has engaged in, male on male sex seems lower than most of the sexuality studies that I have read, that places the number between ten and fourteen percent.

[Danno 1,228]

“If you ask 10 people in this room,” Senterfitt said at the conference with hundreds of people in attendance, “it’s likely only one person will answer correctly [that white MSM are the hardest hit by HIV].

When did MSM become the word for those into that lifestyle?

But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.

That's pretty bad but I'm guessing it's the younger guys that figure AIDS is treatable and not the quick death sentence in was in 1980s. I remember back then we were told AIDS would rapidly into the straight community but it didn't happen.

I was confused too. It's a CDC shortcut for Men who have Sex with Men. Where are the stats for IV and other drug users that also exchange body fluids? Also, that stat for the percentage of the male polulation that engages in, or has engaged in, male on male sex seems lower than most of the sexuality studies that I have read, that places the number between ten and fourteen percent.

Is it possible you are thinking of gays as a whole while the numbers 4-6% were for males only?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I'm surprised that Booyah doesn't have aids.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

“If you ask 10 people in this room,” Senterfitt said at the conference with hundreds of people in attendance, “it’s likely only one person will answer correctly [that white MSM are the hardest hit by HIV].

When did MSM become the word for those into that lifestyle?

But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.

That's pretty bad but I'm guessing it's the younger guys that figure AIDS is treatable and not the quick death sentence in was in 1980s. I remember back then we were told AIDS would rapidly into the straight community but it didn't happen.

I was confused too. It's a CDC shortcut for Men who have Sex with Men. Where are the stats for IV and other drug users that also exchange body fluids? Also, that stat for the percentage of the male polulation that engages in, or has engaged in, male on male sex seems lower than most of the sexuality studies that I have read, that places the number between ten and fourteen percent.

Is it possible you are thinking of gays as a whole while the numbers 4-6% were for males only?

The other way around actually, but that does bring the numbers in line, the 4-6% represent the MSM in the population as a whole, fewer males than females, and the sexuality numbers are for within the male population only. Close enough.

[Danno 1,228]

<<<<<But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.>>>>>

The problem with some of these reported claims are.... they just aren't believable!

As has been pointed out above..... how is it even possible, any "straight person" is not aware of how one gets aids..... and yet the claim is 20% of gay or bi men have never heard of aids prevention campaigns... thats would be 1 in 5 homosexual or Bi men.

After all this fortune of money spent and efforts made from Liz taylor to MTV to Pres Bush.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

<<<<<But Fenton, who is gay, also noted that just 20 percent of gay and bisexual men report hearing of HIV prevention campaigns.>>>>>

The problem with some of these reported claims are.... they just aren't believable!

As has been pointed out above..... how is it even possible, any "straight person" is not aware of how one gets aids..... and yet the claim is 20% of gay or bi men have never heard of aids prevention campaigns... thats would be 1 in 5 homosexual or Bi men.

After all this fortune of money spent and efforts made from Liz taylor to MTV to Pres Bush.

Whether or not they have heard about the campaigns, there are few people anymore that have not at least heard of someone they know that died of AIDS or Hepatitis. And, HIV/AIDS is not reaching the numbers that other STD infections are for less "popular" diseases, HPV for instance.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Rhiannercakes 14]

These people certainly aren't helping then:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/593...search_of_death

There are men out there actively looking to get HIV/AIDS from other men.

It's quite an interesting article.

I suggest reading it if you have time to kill.

[Danno 1,228]

These people certainly aren't helping then:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/593...search_of_death

There are men out there actively looking to get HIV/AIDS from other men.

It's quite an interesting article.

I suggest reading it if you have time to kill.

A couple of years ago we had a play based on this same demented desire (seeking aids infection) come to town.

IIRC It caused a big outcry as it was to be performed in a public funded place and you can imagine the Objection to tax payers hearing the script when it was read by local stations.

The only line I recall was "infect me,,,,, infect, infect me" as two men hump on stage.

When the Bizarre has lost it's flavor, I guess this type of thing fills the void for some.

[mRx 16]

HIV is God's way of punishing the immoral and unrepentant.

Edited September 6, 2009 by -Matt-

[Ban Hammer 13,658]

I'm surprised that Booyah doesn't have aids.

there is no reason for that post.

[alienlovechild 75]

Whether or not they have heard about the campaigns, there are few people anymore that have not at least heard of someone they know that died of AIDS or Hepatitis.

I must be in the minority because I don't personally know anyone that died from AIDs.

There are men out there actively looking to get HIV/AIDS from other men.

The Rolling Stone article was from 2003. It reminded me of people who want to become amputees.

[Danno 1,228]

HIV is God's way of punishing the immoral and unrepentant.

Thats what some say.

Othera say; AIDS is the Immoral behavior of a few, punishing all of us.

[HAL 9000 96]

Or we can rely on more logical conclusions...

Like the friction of unprotected buttsecks increases the number of microtears on the skin and the ####### epithelium. If HIV is there, and no condom is used... then the number of potential entrance points for HIV increases dramatically.