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Report warns of Southern AIDS ‘crisis’

msnbc.msn.com — Half of deaths occur in 17-state region as federal, private money dries up AIDS specialists are calling for a fundamental rethinking of HIV policy after a new report showed that infection with the virus was rising dramatically in the South even as it dropped everywhere else in the country.

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  • philostrato, on 07/25/2008, -2/+39abstinence-only education, perhaps?
  • voxtarri, on 07/25/2008, -5/+2Since when was Delaware in the south?
  • radiopayola, on 07/25/2008, -1/+8Someone should do an analysis of craigslist posting frequency in the casual encounter categories for all 50 states. Something tells me the bible-belt will top a population-density adusted list...
  • SoloMalee, on 07/25/2008, -3/+14[Faux southern accent]
    "That'll be because of all tham thaar gays an wot not"
    [/Faux southern accent]
    • induren, on 07/25/2008, -0/+5Actually you have to say, "on account o' tham" instead of "because of all tham"
  • damian7, on 07/25/2008, -2/+7Time get to get my shotgun
  • ngoquochoi, on 07/25/2008, -8/+0fsdsdff
  • Berkana, on 07/25/2008, -1/+19Ah, yes, the irony. If I remember correctly, vibrators and such things are outlawed in some southern states.

    They're not any less sexual down south, they're just better at pretending.
  • King0007, on 07/25/2008, -11/+3God hates Fags
    /sarcasm.....maybe
  • damian7, on 07/25/2008, -9/+7HEY, IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY!!!

  • PappyChappy, on 07/25/2008, -14/+3Last year they had no water. Last week they where the fattest people in America...there is a joke I heard and this might be part of the problem:
    What is the difference between Southern Baptist and Baptist?
    The Southern Baptist has an adult bookstore across the street...
    Sorry Baptist is just a joke but I'm sure you would agree with me that these bookstores are a breading ground for AIDS. It is where some people I'm not going to say who. meet for random sex with a stranger. AIDS is out of control among black people do you blame them it cost 5 bucks for an extra large condom. One more have you ever seen the serial number on a condom? Ha Ha you must have never rolled it down all the way
  • Thrilltone, on 07/25/2008, -6/+13It was probably not PC to acknowledge it but despite comprising 13% of the population, about 1/2 of new AIDS cases are among Blacks.

    Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were black - CDC

    I may have to reconsider my crush on Richelle Carey?
    • XtheXlanternX, on 07/25/2008, -3/+5You should also mention how new HIV infection skews towards lower income individuals.... and then how African Americans are more likely to be lower income. Do not make this a race issue, it is a human issue.
      • induren, on 07/25/2008, -1/+5It actually may be a race issue. I can't bring up the article now but I did see an article indicating that genetic factors may make african americans more susceptible to HIV. Yes it's economics, but that may also play a part. Sorry I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it but it was a couple weeks back.
    • joeanon, on 07/25/2008, -1/+2Yea it's a matter of prosperty, not race. You can bet AIDS rates are up among Hispanics also.

      Less sex education, more assholes thinking that just because Magic Johnson is alive AIDS doesn't really kill people.

      Though.. Magic does make ya wonder a little. Do only poor people and the guy from Queen die of Aids or what ?
  • kaiwai, on 07/25/2008, -7/+9People on the down low (aka straight males who ***** other guys but don't like to be called gays), the high rates of teen pregnancies - the south being so desperate the only thing enjoyable there is ***** each other. Add to that the pathetic illiterate in breeders - its just a matter of time.
  • DonKarnage25, on 07/25/2008, -2/+11"AIDS on the rise in Texas, due to the nonstop pounding of the ass done to Texas football players by Tim Tebow."
  • jewmoney, on 07/25/2008, -7/+15Shhh!

    Evolution is working...
  • Phoenix99, on 07/25/2008, -3/+9Its the dirty south.
  • lajaw, on 07/25/2008, -13/+7"AIDS specialists pointed to unequal government funding of anti-AIDS programs as a major problem in the South, where they said economic and cultural factors played unique roles in transmission of the disease."

    Oh yea, there's just not enough welfare down here.

    “African-American women are 83 percent of all [new] cases that we can document,”

    This is a problem caused by lack of morals. It is from too much welfare, and not enough of folks getting out and making a go of it on their own. No, they have been taught to let someone else take care of them. There is also as little abstinence teaching down here as elsewhere. If people would learn to control themselves, they could live long lives.






    • XtheXlanternX, on 07/25/2008, -2/+4First, I'm not even sure if I should comment on your bigotry but I'll spare the few minutes it takes.

      The quote you mentioned referenced the fact that HIV is more likely to spread among persons who are not economically well-off (read: poor). This is just a fact of life. Poor people have more unprotected sex than well to do people (for the most part). In the southern U.S. (and I believe nationwide, although I'm not sure about that part), persons identified as impoverished are more likely to skew African American, ergo it is likely that the percentage of new infections among African Americans will be higher than other races.

      I'm not going to comment on your morals/welfare comments because honestly they don't hold any water to me, as a health educator.

      I can, however, tell you that abstinence-only education actually increases the spread of venereal disease as well as the incidence of teen pregnancy when compared to comprehensive sex education (a complete sex education including contraceptive practices and much more). There have been many reports, government funded and privately funded, that have shown this. A notable one is the Waxman report. It was done by a committee led by a Congressman that found that abstinence-only education is less effective at preventing STDs and teen pregnancy than comprehensive sex education. You should give it a read, its actually a good one. Also, most (I don't want to say all because I know somehow somewhere there has got to be a few) health/medical organizations have recommended that comprehensive sex education is the best way to teach our children. There also have been many many case studies on the subject. It is widely accepted that the only reason to teach abstinence only sex education would be because of some sort of ideology, as a comprehensive sex education program has been shown to lower the transmission of STDs, delay the first age of sexual activity, and decrease the rate of teen pregnancy.

      I'm sorry if I was overly critical of your post, I just become quite frustrated sometimes.
      • lajaw, on 07/25/2008, -2/+1Oh, you are one of the "sex educators". I can see why you are frustrated. You like to teach "safe sex" and masturbation? Do you teach 9 year-olds about masturbation? Teaching "safe sex" has not caused a decline in promiscuity and it never will. Quite the contrary, it has encouraged premarital sex.

        Abstinence education programs have repeatedly been shown to be effective in reducing sexual activity among their participants. However, funding for the evaluation of abstinence education programs until very recently has ranged from meager to nonexistent. Currently, the number of adequately funded evaluations of abstinence education is increasing. At present, there are several promising new evaluations nearing completion. As each year passes, it can be expected that the number of evaluations showing that abstinence education does significantly reduce sexual activity will grow steadily.

        But if parents would teach their own child about the birds and the bees and leave the public school system to teach the three R's, our society would fare much better.
      • XtheXlanternX, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2I'm not going to argue against the fact that parents are better suited to teach their children about sex, but the simple fact is that a lot of parents do not. I don't know if its just because people are working more and spending less time at home or what, but people are spending a lot less time with their kids. There are tons of studies showing that comprehensive sex education has delayed the age of first sexual experience (and in turn, premarital sex among teens), lowered teen pregnancy rates, and transmission of STDs. Comprehensive sex education is fully supported by the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as many other prominent public health organizations. Look in places like Texas where abstinence only education is practiced widely, and you will also find the corresponding high teen pregnancy rate.

        I don't want to argue and everyone is entitled to their own opinion (obviously), but there are innumerable facts/studies/reports that have been done that show that comprehensive sex education is more effective. If you're looking for someone/something to blame, there are a million other reasons, most of which don't have near the support that comprehensive sex education does-- so perhaps try one of those.
  • induren, on 07/25/2008, -1/+13Parents and community leaders in the South are also more likely to idiotically cling to their Bibles and claim that abstinence education is the only way to lower infection rates, and, sadly, to vilify those who are infected. It's a problem of demographics and economic factors, but also pure unadulterated ignorance. I see even college campuses where the student body are proud of their anti-intellectual stance, and this includes attitudes towards sex education.
  • Ovrthtp, on 07/25/2008, -3/+4Voting for George Walker Bush = AIDS
  • JigoroKano, on 07/25/2008, -1/+7The Virginia/DC/Maryland area has a huge AIDS problem in the black community that is unfolding. People just aren't taking AIDS seriously any more because of the medications. Many people believe AIDS is curable.
  • mrzeero, on 07/25/2008, -1/+5I wonder what Jerry Falwell will have to say about this? Oh that's right, nothing, he is dead.
  • jsaic, on 07/25/2008, -6/+2ni(gg)as don't wear condoms. i've heard some dumb ***** say "oh magic is cured" or aids is fake. the guys don't want to wear the condoms because they like going raw. the women want kids because most girls/women want kids but they also have no self esteem so they want someone that will love them and there is always the incentive of getting government aid for bastard children. it's disturbing and ***** up. if they would just use protection when they ***** everything would be cool. ***** these dirty ass ***** from prison and *****. stop it! stop acting like a damn dog in heat. stop having 19 bastard kids. that ***** is just wrong. dammit!
  • RadioFreeOpium, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3Thats how it goes in tha dirrty south



    eck, why didn't we let them secede again?
  • dadavexx, on 07/25/2008, -2/+3The 'good ole' southern baptist states with the anti science education systems and hate of all thing gay - are doing their own kids in. Such stupid people !
  • LostOnion, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3As someone who has lived in the south all my life all I can say is, can I get aids if I ***** my sister?
  • crazzy88ss, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3Good god, every week I hear/read something about how the south is in last place in some statistic, or how it's doing the worst in another statistic vs the rest of the country.

    WHY does this region have so many problems?
  • joeanon, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2Natural selection ! You don't have to believe in it, just keep being an uneducated anti-contraceptive *****.
  • TBITS, on 07/25/2008, -1/+5Wow I never knew the south was so ***** up. Oh wait it isn't. The stuff that goes on here is no different from the stuff that goes on in other states. Our sex ed was not abstinence only, evolution was taught creationism wasn't, my school ,at least, averaged very high ACT and SAT scores, homophobes and racists usually ended up getting their ass kicked however i rarely met anyone who was. I could go on and on. The south is very diverse and people tend to get along even in the face of idiotic stereotypes which are usually made by people who have never been here, so it would be a good idea to think before you draw conclusions.
  • sourceworth, on 07/29/2008, -0/+0http://digg.com/educational/Aids_Do_we_care
  • austinl7, on 08/03/2008, -0/+0I'm saddened when I read news like this. However, I'm hopeful when I read about prevention and treatment advances. Just yesterday I was reading about a promising new drug approach called abzymes.
    Austin
    http://drughealth.blogspot.com/2008/08/hiv-hope-an ...
    http://drughealth.blogspot.com/
  •  

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