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Are we about to eliminate AIDS?

newscientist.com — WHAT if we could rid the world of AIDS? The notion might sound like fantasy: HIV infection has no cure and no vaccine, after all. Yet there is a way to completely wipe it out - at least in theory. What's more, it would take only existing medical technology to do the job.

Who dugg this? Made popular Feb 20, 2009

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217 Comments

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  • paranoiabacon, on 02/20/2009, -4/+86AIDS has been cured on digg?

    it must be friday again.
  • theswany, on 02/20/2009, -6/+63Condoms. We have the technology.
  • badqat, on 02/20/2009, -5/+59Yes! Only, since this is digg, where AIDS (and cancer) has been cured many, many times, it's probably moot at this point.
  • JROXZ, on 02/20/2009, -8/+33I believe we can... Step 1. Stop promoting Abstinence Only Programs and hand out condoms by the truck load in schools.
  • ryelli, on 02/20/2009, -3/+20South Park and Magic Johnson solved this problem in March of 2008. The answer is "about $180,000 shot directly into the bloodstream"

    Go off and be cured!
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -4/+20Uncle Red's AIDS prevention advice:
    Don't engage in the behavior that gets you infected with AIDS and you won't get AIDS.

    AIDS prevention cost: $0
  • Rikkochet, on 02/20/2009, -1/+17For all their scarcity, you can consider Polio eliminated. There are a couple of hotbeds thanks to cultural beliefs on treatment or dreadful governments, but the rest of the world doesn't worry about it anymore.
    If we can get to that stage I think we're in pretty damn great shape.
  • godzilla8nj, on 02/20/2009, -1/+17Correction fail.
  • larryjr88, on 02/20/2009, -28/+43WAT

    I said what what, in the butt.
  • Kerrigore, on 02/20/2009, -0/+15No, he means it's a moo point. Who cares what a cow thinks? No one. It's moo.
  • NerveBand, on 02/20/2009, -0/+13No. He means moot point.
  • loki2029, on 02/20/2009, -3/+15So basically the cure is cash? Lots and lots of it injected directly into the bloodstream?
  • CVL4317, on 02/20/2009, -0/+11works for most STD.
  • jkoby, on 02/20/2009, -5/+16Maybe I can have something on my drivers license that verifies that every 6 months I'm AIDS/HIV free(Like a test I take and my drivers license gets updated from it). So this way I can check her drivers license and she can check mine before any intercourse happens. This way I have an excuse to check to make sure she is over 18...
  • muleskinner, on 02/20/2009, -2/+13"..and prevent the AIDS patients from spreading it around."

    Oh this is so naive. How would you propose we do this without violating these peoples rights? What about the huge majority of carriers who have no idea that they have the disease?
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -1/+11You're not too bright.

    Sorry to be up front and to the point, but there it is.
  • Sloi, on 02/20/2009, -10/+20***** AIDS (excuse the humor...)

    Focus on cancer.
  • ryrocker, on 02/20/2009, -0/+9im laughing right because im picturing some dude in a lab coat pointing at a rising line graph of "gayness" all...

    "LOOK! ITS SO HIGH!"
  • blah247, on 02/20/2009, -3/+12People still get herpes... the hiv isn't going anywhere.
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -0/+9Are you suggesting people are responsible for their own actions? That's crazy talk!
  • noisician, on 02/20/2009, -2/+11are you saying that AIDS is not the one thing preventing all humans from having eternal, immortal life??? are you saying that if a person doesn't die of AIDS he will still die of something else?!?!?!
  • mamboboy, on 02/20/2009, -3/+11I don't know? Maybe Jared knows something?
  • llamabox, on 02/20/2009, -8/+16I believe monogamy would be even more effective
  • UberNick, on 02/20/2009, -1/+9nope, moot
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -3/+11Another AIDS cure on digg.
  • chuckDontSurf, on 02/20/2009, -0/+7I think you owe basic grammar an apology.
  • gcnaddict, on 02/20/2009, -1/+8Wait, so we went from curing AIDS on digg to eliminating it outright? If only all of our other problems were this easy to solve.
  • Flatlineskillz, on 02/20/2009, -1/+8No they aren't they are talking about testing everyone and giving everyone with HIV retroviral drugs. What a concept!
  • EvilJelloMan, on 02/20/2009, -1/+8What's laughable is your lack of reading comprehension.

    They are talking about testing everyone, and putting people who are infected on the drugs right away, instead of waiting for their immune counts to drop below a certain threshold.
  • MadameMorticia, on 02/20/2009, -5/+12You are so right. Furthermore, resources / anti-AIDS treatments are wasted on irresponsible people, rather than helping those who became infected through no fault of their own, like blood transfusions, accidental needle sticks at work, etc. Save the treatments for the ones who deserve it.
  • Teknikscian, on 02/20/2009, -3/+10Dugg!

    This point really pisses me off! I dont understand why people feel the need to shield children from the facts of life! Give them condoms and teach them about STDs and sex at a young age. They will either dive in educated and strapped with a condom knowing the risks and consequences, or dive in un educated and just figure it out themselves.... so retarded.
  • IKORKYI, on 02/20/2009, -6/+13if AIDS is cured, a lot more people will die of hunger in africa
  • haikuFU, on 02/20/2009, -0/+6Ignoring privacy issues, putting a Tattoo on everyone's forehead that indicated they had HIV would be sure to reduce the number of infections. :)
  • MacEnvy, on 02/20/2009, -0/+6Are you suggesting we create an Aidstralia?
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -0/+6Right, not to be harsh but my mom's cancer where there is no cure means that it is natural Darwinism, killing a wonderful person who adds great value to people's lives to thin out the herd.

    Her cancer is not preventable. She's never been sick a day in her life until this. Never had to see a doctor.

  • KSUdesigner, on 02/20/2009, -1/+6I didn't say that nobody should wear them. The article is talking about eliminating AIDS completely and the original poster said the technology to do it is condoms. Therefore, if condoms are not 100% effective then condoms alone will not eliminate AIDS. Reading comprehension FTW.
  • Rivetgeek, on 02/20/2009, -0/+5The motivation to fight HIV is slightly higher. And condoms dont stop herpes.
  • inactive, on 02/20/2009, -0/+5It's awwwwwright.
  • Merendino, on 02/20/2009, -1/+6Hahahahaha, for a second there I thought you were serious, then I realized you just forgot your /sarcasm tag, you ***** tool.
  • falser, on 02/20/2009, -5/+10Just tattoo a big red "P" on their foreheads.
  • Pillage, on 02/20/2009, -0/+5and don't ***** monkeys in the butt..
  • KSUdesigner, on 02/20/2009, -3/+7Except they are not 100% effective.
  • pHreaksYcle, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4Let's SUE!
  • OrangeTide, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4spreading aids violates other people's right to live.

    segregating carriers of aids is about the most boneheaded thing I've heard today. We have home test kits for narcotics, when will the aids test kits become cheap enough to be useful?
  • stix213, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4Most infected people in Africa don't become "AIDS patients" until years after they got infected and have been spreading it.
  • Republitericrat, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4I think it should be studied and looked into. Especially in these smaller countries where entire populations are being decimated.
  • magic6435, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4I don't give a ***** about AIDS its easily preventable but please for the love of god cure cancer!
  • MrEddy, on 02/20/2009, -0/+4Works until aids mutates and goes airborn. Then its SUPERAIDS!

    Seriously, if aids stopped spreading suddenly it would just find a way to adapt and become something that could spread. Aids isn't just going to sit by and be wiped out.
  • jkr801, on 02/20/2009, -8/+12We are HIV positive that we have a cure.
  • InkComber22, on 02/20/2009, -1/+5Hey were funding all kinds of *****, why not throw a little cash to something useful.
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