wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] O from Forest Hills August 05, 2008 - 10:08AM

  These figures really shed the light on the importance to make healthy lifestyle choices and to be responsible with your body and your health. You get one shot and it is important to take care of ourselves.

  I hope this will make more people think twice and definately use condoms if they engage in sex.

  
  
• [2] Robert from NYC August 05, 2008 - 10:15AM

  They have had 30 years to work on a cure and vaccine for HIV but nothing has happened. The attempts seem to have gone in the wrong directions and the fact that the pharmaceutical companies have convinced us that it's okay to "live with {fill in the disease}" by using their meds for the rest of our lives has put a delay on working on what we really need, i.e., a vaccine and a cure. We are all now in that headset, "hey, we can live with this disease!" while the pharmacos make billions on this. I don't buy it and it's time we get off our duffs and insist on vaccine and cure work. Never mind "living with" mindset.

  
  
• [3] Michael from Manhattan August 05, 2008 - 10:16AM

  The interesting thing about this release of info is that whenever the numbers exceed what is "expected", the politically and emotionally charged use of the (often misunderstood ) term "epidemic" gains technical legitimacy.

  Black women are only at risk unless they have sex with men who have sex with men. Unlike a more dangerous epidemic, this is one that can be controlled if the major group that seems to be the reservoir (men that have sex with men, no matter so called bisexual or purely "gay alter their sexual behavior.

  
  
• [4] O from Forest Hills August 05, 2008 - 10:18AM

  I remember when AIDS first was being discovered in the early 80s. There was no information about it and some acquaintances would not let anyone use their toilet or drink out of their glasses at their house because they thought they would get AIDs.

  There has been a lot of racial profiling about AIDS as well.

  
  
• [5] Peter from Brooklyn August 05, 2008 - 10:20AM

  Do we need to expand the exposure literature? On line there is alot of information about how some sex acts are safer then others, is this not the case? I have read information that digital and oral sex have a much lower transmital rate then anal or vaginal sex, i dont doubt that that is ture - but is it fair to say these acts are safe if there is a minimal transmital rate?

  
  
• [6] exlege from brooklyn August 05, 2008 - 10:21AM

  Are there significantly more bi-sexual black men than bi-sexual men of other races? seems like the guests are indicating that black women are more suceptible.

  
  
• [7] O from Forest Hills August 05, 2008 - 10:22AM

  I wouldn't say oral sex is safer. Maybe if a condom is used but we have to be careful we don't give people misinformation and a false sense of security.

  
  
• [8] Michael from Manhattan August 05, 2008 - 10:22AM

  one more thought on the use of teh word "epidemic" as epidemic is used when the numbers of new cases of a disease exceeds the expected figures... I wonder if we can continue to use this technical term to refer to the disease. Consistently, for 30 years the numbers that have been predicted and expected for rates of infection were far higher than they actually were, are and apparently will be. WE were scared into believing that EVERYONE will be exposed and millions of cases would engulf us. Therefor the continued use of the term "epidemic" is not warranted. Google the medical meaning of epidemic to follow the logic I am using here.

  
  
• [9] scnex from harlem August 05, 2008 - 10:25AM

  the fact that blacks in africa as well as in the states are now the targets of this designer epidemic, beside the establishment using people like these so called doctors, these black advocates of genocide - it is clear that both of these people are misinforming as well as mis-educating people.

  these are the lies that spread hate, and your lies will come back on all that have a hand in genocide...

  
  
• [10] Michael from Manhattan August 05, 2008 - 10:27AM

  In terms of "safe sex" The key words are semen and mucous membrane ph. A healthy vagina is 4.0 far too acidic to allow for transmission of HIV as the virus is destroyed by that acid. The anus is 8.0 as is semen and blood. (hence the susceptibility of homosexual male sex and IV drug users. Unless you have some severe damage in your mouth the chances of getting AIDS thru oral sex is nil and unprovable in 30 years. (as is heterosexual Female to male transmission)

  
  
• [11] the truth from Atlanta/New York August 05, 2008 - 10:27AM

  @ #6 exlege- There are a large number of Black Men on the down low" (bi-sexual black men) who are not "out of the closet" due to cultural beliefs, that is what she was eluding to.

  
  
• [12] J.T. from NYC August 05, 2008 - 10:29AM

  Robert you bring up a good point of the use of the word epidemic when discussing HIV and it's use to possibly terrify people into attention.

  And actually Peter and O, this same method of fear is used when discussing the safety of certain sex acts. There has more than enough research that indicates that some sex acts present minimal risk of transmission. Some agencies fear you to believe all sex acts transmit disease equally; but there are not.

  
  
• [13] Peter from Brooklyn August 05, 2008 - 10:31AM

  No flip flop - read what Obama said:

  "My interest is in making sure that we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices. ... If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage---I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done."

  Compromise, like it or not, is what the American political system is founded upon.