New York City prides itself on being at the forefront of the action. This action, however, is not boast worthy:
The virus that causes AIDS is spreading in New York City at three times the national rate – an incidence of 72 new infections for every 100,000 people, compared with 23 per 100,000 nationally – according to a study released on Wednesday by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
…
Blacks, and men who have sex with other men, are the groups at greatest risk of contracting H.I.V., the study found. A summary of the new data:• Men accounted for 76 percent of new H.I.V. infections and women for 25 percent. (The figures exceed 100 percent because of rounding.)
…
• Sex between men was the main cause in 50 percent of new infections; high-risk heterosexual sex in 22 percent; intravenous drug use in 8 percent; and unknown or uncertain causes in 18 percent.
One would think this city, the epicenter of the AIDS crisis, would have learned its lesson. But, you know, New Yorkers aren’t always so fast on the uptake…
Lost
Will our Community never learn?
seitan-on-a-stick
Statistics need to more closely examine Out Gay Men, Down Low Men and Heterosexual Men as separate categories and I don’t get 101% (does that mean that 1% had a change of heart on gender) Just trying to get the layperson version on this! Maybe condoms should be freely distributed and covered by all health insurers including the U.S. Government.
Anarchos
The NYC condoms ARE available for free, and probably not the only way one can get no-cost protection. It’s much more complicated than that…
Bill Perdue
It’s not complicated and it’s certainly not our fault.
Socialized medicine is the most vital component of a sensible approach. Plenty of people still die because they get poor treatment. Tax the rich and cut the war budget by $100 billion dollars to pay for it.
Massive safe sex campaigns are also important. Massive funding can produce smart, effective print, radio and TV ads. Compelling TV and radio documentaries and a massive speaker’s bureau effort to reach out and educate in small groups are also needed. In the schools a safe sex saturation campaign should be mandatory, especially in christian and other catholic cult schools as well as judaic and islamist schools where students gag on daily doses of superstition and ignorance. Students need to be exposed to medical and anti-homophobic information and participate in tours by people with HIV discussing prevention and the lack of a cure. Tax the rich even more and cut the war budget by a further $1000 billion dollars to pay for it. Build some decent hospitals, clinics and hospices while you’re at it.
A third important step is legislation making it a crime to spread hate speech followed by the arrest and prosecution of pulpit pimps and priests who advocate homophobia and interfere with safe sex campaigns.