Recently, World AIDS Day came and went without any comment on this board (see http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/).  I suppose this forum is not the most appropriate place for memorials or other observances of the day but it is definitely a place for information and discussion about this dreadful scourge. There is some interesting new information this week:

U.S. expected to raise annual HIV estimates - Number of people infected each year could go up 35 percent
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22081089/

The highlight is that instead of the new infection rate in the US remaining steady at approx. 40k over the past ten years, that statistical estimate is being revised upwards to maybe 55k.  It is not yet clear whether this might be a rising trend in infection rates or just a change in estimates.  Whatever the actual best estimate, what is important to me is that for the U.S. we remain fortunate that the order of magnitude of the number is around 50k and not 100k or higher and that it has probably declined significantly from a peak in the early 90’s.  Unfortunately the problem is remaining very intransigent and whatever we are doing is not good enough to continue to lower the incidence of this disease either here in the U.S. or particularly in other parts of the world that have been much harder hit.

Interestingly we had a very good discussion about this subject last year around the time of World AIDS Day because of some “news” about circumcision and HIV transmission.  In that discussion Horizononfire made many good points and I think the thread is still a very good read.  Germane to the topic today, in case you’re interested, are some links I posted to CDC data on HIV in that thread:

Still No Substitute for Safe Sex - Posted by TS Tempted, 12/13/2006
http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion_boards/viewmsg.asp?MessageID=21015&boardID=19&page=

I’d also like to follow up on a post from a month ago about some other recent developments:

A Rethink of AIDS Policies (I wish...) - Posted by TS Tempted, 11/1/2007
http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion_boards/viewmsg.asp?MessageID=27238&boardID=19&page=

The article referenced in that message is no longer available on msnbc but can be found here instead (sorry, but you’ll probably have to be registered at washingtonpost.com to access the article):

Rethinking AIDS Strategy After a String of Failures - By Craig Timberg, 1-Nov-07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR2007103102919.html

FYI here is a good follow up commentary to that discussion:

Despite AIDS vaccine failure, quest must go on - By Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., Nov. 30, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22023841/


A final point, ALWAYS play safe and get tested regularly.  My test results are current (within the last month actually) and remain negative (thank goodness).  How about yours?

Respectfully,


TS Tempted




-- Modified on 12/4/2007 8:18:35 AM