# The AIDS Epidemic



## bookslover (Jun 4, 2015)

Although one doesn't hear much about it from the mainstream media anymore, the AIDS epidemic continues to roar right along. Per the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are about 50,000 new cases each year and about 10,000 deaths each year. Since the disease was first identified 32 years ago, in 1983, nearly 700,000 people in the US have died from it, one way or another.


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## Jimmy the Greek (Jun 4, 2015)

Wow. I had no idea. The mainstream Media has other hot topics nowadays. This wont sell anymore.


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## God'sElectSaint (Jun 4, 2015)

This is very true as an ex IV drug user I know many who have HIV/ or AIDS it has not slowed down. Thank the Lord Jesus Christ that I never caught this disease! Lord knows I did everything to get it. I did catch Hepatitis C though which is spreading just as quickly as HIV/AIDS though it's much more treatable.


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## Miss Marple (Jun 5, 2015)

They probably keep it quiet for political reasons.


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## earl40 (Jun 5, 2015)

Also AIDS is not the disease it was 83. Not to say the virus has changed within itself but treatment is so good that one having AIDS does not have to presume one will die of this virus.


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## God'sElectSaint (Jun 5, 2015)

earl40 said:


> Also AIDS is not the disease it was 83. Not to say the virus has changed within itself but treatment is so good that one having AIDS does not have to presume one will die of this virus.



well it's HIV that is the very treatable one. Once it turns into the AIDS virus that's when it gets life threatening.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jun 5, 2015)

It is being reported here because we have had over 150 cases since the beginning of the year. It is all over our news and they have a needle exchange program going on now. 

http://www.in.gov/isdh/26649.htm

http://fox59.com/2015/05/21/public-...h-may-2016-in-scott-county-amid-hiv-outbreak/


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## Edward (Jun 5, 2015)

God'sElectSaint said:


> well it's HIV that is the very treatable one. Once it turns into the AIDS virus that's when it gets life threatening.


Not quite. AIDS isn't a virus. Its a disease which most believe to be caused by HIV. But you are right. Once someone develops AIDS, the prognosis is not very good.


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## Pilgrim (Jun 6, 2015)

Also, I think a lot of people probably see Magic Johnson looking healthy over 20 years after getting diagnosed with HIV and just assume it is no big deal anymore. And then it is on to their next hookup. As Randy notes, heroin use has increased in recent years as well.


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## Leslie (Jun 6, 2015)

There is always media burn-out with anything that goes on for long. For years, every week, malaria has killed more people than the Ebola epidemic did for the whole first 6 months, yet no one seems to notice. In theory it is treatable, but the medicines that currently work and are readily available are too expensive for the poor, and the vast majority are fake, just sugar pills mislabelled.
HIV treatment is "free" but yet only the rich can access it. Transportation to treatment is not free, nor is housing or food once one gets there. Some recent studies have shown that a local herb, common in this area, reverses even advanced AIDS, but it's still just used locally, in east Africa.


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## Unoriginalname (Jun 7, 2015)

It is true that with a lot of the treatments out now we can many times prevent someone who is HIV positive from converting (probably not the best word) to AIDS. Of course the down side is that the treatments are very very expensive (whether those taking them are paying or not someone is footing the bill) and require you to actually take them. As Randy said as well heroin is on the rise and that is going to spike HIV infection rates.


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## God'sElectSaint (Jun 7, 2015)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> It is being reported here because we have had over 150 cases since the beginning of the year. It is all over our news and they have a needle exchange program going on now.
> 
> http://www.in.gov/isdh/26649.htm
> 
> http://fox59.com/2015/05/21/public-...h-may-2016-in-scott-county-amid-hiv-outbreak/



I used to use the needle exchange program it is helpful but I am not sure if enabling iv drug use is a good thing, kind of a bitter sweet program.


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## Miss Marple (Jun 7, 2015)

Interesting to hear your take on it, Edward, I have never approved of it. It seems like handing out condoms to (unmarried) military men overseas - I get the idea but it is tacit approval no two ways around it.


I think more of the soldiers fornicate with the tacit approval, and I think more people use needle delivery drugs with the tacit approval. But I don't know that this could be proven.


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## lynnie (Jun 7, 2015)

Don Carson has a real good appendix about this subject in his book on suffering- How Long Oh Lord. 

HIV/AIDS is very bad in Africa......


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## God'sElectSaint (Jun 7, 2015)

A student from my high school(which a few years ago came out as a homosexual)actually came out on a Facebook post that he was HIV positive and out of curiosity I looked up some statistics on homosexual and HIV/aids and was astounded at the amount of HIV in the homosexual community I had no idea there were so many! It makes sense in light of "Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." I actually messaged him and was polite and told him I would pray for him and even told him a little about Christ and how he has changed my life and washed me of sin. He responded pretty well actually I hope God draws him to the Son!


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## bookslover (Jun 8, 2015)

God'sElectSaint said:


> A student from my high school(which a few years ago came out as a homosexual)actually came out on a Facebook post that he was HIV positive and out of curiosity I looked up some statistics on homosexual and HIV/aids and was astounded at the amount of HIV in the homosexual community I had no idea there were so many! It makes sense in light of "Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." I actually messaged him and was polite and told him I would pray for him and even told him a little about Christ and how he has changed my life and washed me of sin. He responded pretty well actually I hope God draws him to the Son!



That was a point that the Centers for Disease Control pointed out: the vast majority of AIDS victims are homosexual and bisexual men.


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## Gforce9 (Jun 8, 2015)

What is most frustrating to me about the whole issue, is this "awareness" push and the millions of $$$ spent on a campaign/rhetoric that really doesn't address the problem. I would have much less opposition if tax dollars were spent on a campaign to tell people to quit doing the things that kill them and others, rather than telling people something they already know (AIDS is out there) and issue zero warning.........


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## uberkermit (Jun 8, 2015)

God'sElectSaint said:


> A student from my high school(which a few years ago came out as a homosexual)actually came out on a Facebook post that he was HIV positive and out of curiosity I looked up some statistics on homosexual and HIV/aids and was astounded at the amount of HIV in the homosexual community I had no idea there were so many! It makes sense in light of "Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." I actually messaged him and was polite and told him I would pray for him and even told him a little about Christ and how he has changed my life and washed me of sin. He responded pretty well actually I hope God draws him to the Son!





bookslover said:


> That was a point that the Centers for Disease Control pointed out: the vast majority of AIDS victims are homosexual and bisexual men.



Indeed, AIDS used to be known as GRID: Gay Related Immune Deficiency.


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## Miss Marple (Jun 8, 2015)

"What is most frustrating to me about the whole issue, is this "awareness" push and the millions of $$$ spent on a campaign/rhetoric that really doesn't address the problem." (again living in San Francisco) - I am so sorry to see these millions more than wasted - in my opinion much of what I see/hear on radio/tv/billboards/bus signs promotes the behavior. Condoms are pushed as though they are the Great Solution and all they do at best is reduce the odds of transmission; however the continued promotion probably increases the incidents which no doubt actually increases the risk.

Plus the overall message is "this is good and positive and great and harmless - you should do this."


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## Unoriginalname (Jun 8, 2015)

God'sElectSaint said:


> A student from my high school(which a few years ago came out as a homosexual)actually came out on a Facebook post that he was HIV positive and out of curiosity I looked up some statistics on homosexual and HIV/aids and was astounded at the amount of HIV in the homosexual community I had no idea there were so many! It makes sense in light of "Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." I actually messaged him and was polite and told him I would pray for him and even told him a little about Christ and how he has changed my life and washed me of sin. He responded pretty well actually I hope God draws him to the Son!



It is not politically correct to point out that still the majority of HIV carriers are gay men in the USA. Without needing to describe the act, we all get that it is an unnatural act that lends itself to more risk for spreading disease. 
As far as needle exchanges go, I support them because even if you think they are an endorsement of that life style (which I would argue it is only an acknowledgement that it exists) it keeps healthcare costs down. Sticking a dirty needle in your arm in not only a good way to get HIV or Hepatitis (both diseases that we as tax payers largely foot the bill for), it is a great way to get nasty infections bacterial infections that we again pay for. Needle exchanges are a cheap way to try and control the costs of IV drug abuse and the pestilence that comes with it. If we really want to try and deal with IV drug use you need to start with trying to reel in the over prescription of oral narcotics and work your way forward from there. But I am


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## Miss Marple (Jun 8, 2015)

" Sticking a dirty needle in your arm in not only a good way to get HIV or Hepatitis (both diseases that we as tax payers largely foot the bill for),"

off topic on me, too, but this is why I don't like government funded health care, once "we" are paying for it we end up doing all sorts of things like this.

I find myself working hard and sacrificing so I can pay for needles for junkies. . . not at all a priority for me, nothing I'd do if I had discretion over the spending.


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## God'sElectSaint (Jun 8, 2015)

Unoriginalname said:


> God'sElectSaint said:
> 
> 
> > A student from my high school(which a few years ago came out as a homosexual)actually came out on a Facebook post that he was HIV positive and out of curiosity I looked up some statistics on homosexual and HIV/aids and was astounded at the amount of HIV in the homosexual community I had no idea there were so many! It makes sense in light of "Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." I actually messaged him and was polite and told him I would pray for him and even told him a little about Christ and how he has changed my life and washed me of sin. He responded pretty well actually I hope God draws him to the Son!
> ...



Hey eric I hear you brother. I am a recovering heroin addict trust I've used these needle exchanges many many times. And i agree 100% with the prescription drugs, I started with Vicodin and percs and eventually went to heroin that is the usual progression for most. It was my exact story! Suboxone is a great medicine as well, I got off it a few months ago but it helped me tremendously early on in my recovery but hey I am off topic too.


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