HIV and AIDS
 

No-one can deny that there is a HIV epidemic in the LGBT community, and it really bugs me when people say they'll be "safe" and then go around screwing everyone. It's like they're completely unaware of what's happening.

My friend's girlfriend was admitted to the hospital recently, as her HIV became full-blown AIDS. As of now, my friend (who also lives with HIV) is standing vigil over her. I knew it was going to happen, but it still comes as a shock.

What's your experience with HIV and AIDS?

i dunno anybody with HIV/AIDS

but i tend to live vicariously, and as they say, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs

i have been screened and came out negative

i was at risk as my ex's ex was a heavy drug user and might have used heroin

Once had an AIDS test back in the early 1990s as I'd had unprotected sex with a couple of women and it came out negative. Apart from that, I've never known anybody with HIV or with AIDS. One of my best friends is gay and I've heard about people he has known, but that's not the same as actually knowing someone personally.

The issue today here in the UK, is the lack of publicity surrounding the subject. Before especially in the 1980s, it was constantly in the media but today it rarely gets mentioned but the problem still remains.

My sole experience was a friend who was an intravenous drug user. He passed on a few years back and it was very devastating to both his family and mine, which are still very close to this day. It certainly hits the gay community on a much harder level then most. There seems to be some advances in medication, but people still need to be educated apparently, because more people seem to be having unprotected sex, then when it became an epidemic in the early 80's.

The closest I've had come to dealing with HIV/AIDs was doing my EMT clinicals. While the prospect of getting infected was scary enough, if you didn't follow protocol you could actually be denied workers compensation as well, which of course would mean your employers insurance wouldn't be forced to cover it as well. Scary ****, that.

Anyways, why does there seem to be a consensus that people in the gay community continue to indulge in risky behavior because they're ignorant of HIV/AIDs? Couldn't it be they're taking an informed risk?

I'd assume it's because there's no risk of pregnancy so not much need to wear protection? I literally have no idea. I've never looked into it, but it's not ignorance to the disease.

Personally I've never known anyone with HIV/AIDS, or anyone who knows anyone.

I think a lot of people see it as a joke.
"go get AIDS" "You have AIDS" etc.
People don't realise how serious the disease is, it's quite shocking. I read a play called "Brothers of Thunder" by Ann Marie di Mambo and it really affected me. It's about a man with HIV living with a catholic priest.

You guys are too young to know what it was like when the AIDS scare was here in the UK in the 1980s, the media exagerrated the threat so much that people became a lot more careful through fear. Finally, this paranoia finally gave way to more informed debate about the subject in the 1990s and better education. Since then, informing the public on the risks has practically diminished, to such a level that people don't even give it that much thought!

I know the biological side of HIV/AIDs, I learned it in school but apart from that I don't know very much about it at all.