AIDS treatment
Jul. 13th, 2004 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
transpaoI just read a grand article about the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa. I want to feel good about it. I want to be happy that sick and dieing people are able to live longer healthier lives...
But I can't...
The thing that bothers me so is that by simply prolonging the life and vitality of someone infected, you prolong the life of the virus. AIDS is one of the Smartest Viruses ever. It doesn't kill it's host for years even without any treatment. When you think about it from the Viruses point of view that's a grand thing. It has the opportunity to infect over and over and over again before even killing the first host.
The idea of the ARV's being cheap and easy to get scares me. I've heard horrific stories where apathy has taken over to the point where there are AIDS parties that are basically russian roulette. One infected person in a group, everyone knows there is one person in the group who's infected but only the infected person knows who... they pair off and... well I'm sure you've guessed what happens then. WHAT? that's INSANE! but the excuse is that "If I get infected I'll just go get on a cocktail"
I feel retched as part of me wants to be humanitarian about everything...
BUt Apathy about AIDS is fucking terrifying to me.
NO I never want to see people treated poorly because of their illness... but condoms aren't safe. But is abstinence even possible?
But I can't...
The thing that bothers me so is that by simply prolonging the life and vitality of someone infected, you prolong the life of the virus. AIDS is one of the Smartest Viruses ever. It doesn't kill it's host for years even without any treatment. When you think about it from the Viruses point of view that's a grand thing. It has the opportunity to infect over and over and over again before even killing the first host.
The idea of the ARV's being cheap and easy to get scares me. I've heard horrific stories where apathy has taken over to the point where there are AIDS parties that are basically russian roulette. One infected person in a group, everyone knows there is one person in the group who's infected but only the infected person knows who... they pair off and... well I'm sure you've guessed what happens then. WHAT? that's INSANE! but the excuse is that "If I get infected I'll just go get on a cocktail"
I feel retched as part of me wants to be humanitarian about everything...
BUt Apathy about AIDS is fucking terrifying to me.
NO I never want to see people treated poorly because of their illness... but condoms aren't safe. But is abstinence even possible?
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?
Date: 2004-07-14 07:45 pm (UTC)Re: ?
Date: 2004-07-14 08:15 pm (UTC)