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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 4:47pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

It's not related to HIV/AIDS, but what a timely tweet:


Debate is a good thing.


Edited by Robbie Parry on 24 October 2017 at 4:48pm
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John Byrne
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 5:22pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Gaëten Dugas, a Canadian flight attendant, was for a long time regarded as "Patient Zero." A ridiculous concept with a disease like AIDS, but his story nevertheless paints a particularly dark picture. Knowing himself to be ill, he frequented gay clubs and bathhouses, deliberately to infect others. After having sex he would point out the sores on his skin and say "Gay cancer. Maybe you'll get it, too."

Nasty. Atypical. But human nature tells us he was not alone.

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Michael Roberts
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 5:39pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Gaëten Dugas, a Canadian flight attendant, was for a long time regarded as "Patient Zero." A ridiculous concept with a disease like AIDS, but his story nevertheless paints a particularly dark picture. Knowing himself to be ill, he frequented gay clubs and bathhouses, deliberately to infect others. After having sex he would point out the sores on his skin and say "Gay cancer. Maybe you'll get it, too."

----

This is apparently urban legend propagated by Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On based on Dugas' villain status due to being unfairly labeled "Patient Zero". He never was. He was Patient O.



 QUOTE:
"They said, 'This flight attendant from Canada. He flew for Air Canada. Geez, he was such a great guy and very handsome,' " Darrow remembers hearing.  

The man was Gaetan Dugas. And his name popped up again and again in interviews. Eventually, Darrow linked eight early AIDS cases to Dugas.
 
When Darrow wrote up his findings inside the CDC, he didn't name names. Instead, he called the men by a code, based on the city they lived in. For those in LA: "There was LA1, LA2 ... and so forth," Darrow says.   

And for Dugas, a Canadian? "Patient O, the outside-of-California case." 

The letter O? Not Patient Zero? "That's correct," Darrow says. "I never labeled him Patient Zero."

According to the people who worked with him, he was a nice guy.


 QUOTE:
But Dugas wasn't a villain — not at all.

In fact, people who knew Dugas told me he was charismatic, kind and energetic. Right before he died, Dugas volunteered at a nonprofit to help other people with HIV.

And he was critical to figuring out what AIDS was. Not only did Dugas fly to the CDC in Atlanta to donate blood samples, Darrow says, but he also offered the CDC a huge list of names of potential AIDS cases.

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Paul Simpson Simpson
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 7:31pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Poverty, worse access to healthcare, cultural stigma against homosexuality, and the phrase that has people clutching their pearls... institutional racism
****************
The stigma against homosexuality is, in my opinion, the elephant in the room and the worst reason in the lot. There are a great deal of men who like to have sex with other men,but will never admit it because of that stigma Another reason that was left out is irresponsibility. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to put on a rubber. 
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Rick Whiting
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 8:52pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

I have a question for those of you who are knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS. What caused the HIV/AIDS virus to start first developing in humans? Many years ago I recall hearing a news report that the disease came from the African Green Monkey. If that is indeed true, then is it possible that humans contracted the disease from Green Monkey's as a result of being bitten by Green Monkeys and then passed the disease onto other humans through blood and sex? Also, why did the disease seem to affect a disproportionate amount of gay men here in America?
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Michael Roberts
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Posted: 24 October 2017 at 9:15pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply


 QUOTE:
f that is indeed true, then is it possible that humans contracted the disease from Green Monkey's as a result of being bitten by Green Monkeys and then passed the disease onto other humans through blood and sex?

The prevailing theory is that it passed from a monkey or ape to man from the practice of hiring and eating monkey and ape meat. Exposure to infected blood while hunting or preparing the animals. 


 QUOTE:
Also, why did the disease seem to affect a disproportionate amount of gay men here in America?

It’s easier to get infected by receptive anal sex. If both partners are on the receiving end, there’s more opportunity to spread the infection. With heterosexual sex, it’s easier for the man to transmit the infection to the woman than it is for the woman to transmit the infection to the man. 

Plus, prior to the AIDS epidemic, it was less likely that gay men were wearing condoms. 
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 25 October 2017 at 4:23am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

On the subject of blood:


Why work in the NHS if you have a blood phobia? Whether you are a doctor, nurse, midwife or occupational therapist, chances are you will deal with blood or see blood at some point.
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Paul Simpson Simpson
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Posted: 25 October 2017 at 8:42am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Plus, prior to the AIDS epidemic, it was less likely that gay men were wearing condoms
*****************
Too may people, gay and straight, still aren't

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Peter Martin
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Posted: 25 October 2017 at 8:53am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

There is a theory that HIV is a mutated version of SIV which is an immunodeficiency virus affecting chimpanzee. As Michael says, the bushmeat trade is a theory for how humans got exposed to it. I think chimpanzees are much more likely theory than monkeys, chimpanzees (and other great apes) being much close genetically to humans than monkeys. There are actually more than one strain of HIV, suggesting the cross-species transmission happened more than once.

I believe current thinking holds that the disease began in Kinshasa in the 1920s, the spread of the virus being facilitated by the Belgian Congo's railway infrastructure and roaring sex trade, owing to a 2:1 ratio of males to females in the city at the time. Another theory is that public health campaigns may also have helped to spread the virus with contaminated needles in injections.


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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 25 October 2017 at 10:55am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Too may people, gay and straight, still aren't

***

As far as straight people are concerned, I find that bizarre, given that it can lead to not only STDs, but unwanted pregnancies.
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Bill Collins
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Posted: 25 October 2017 at 11:35am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Robbie,apparently there is a rise in STD`s amongst the over 50`s,obviously pregnancy is unlikely,but they seem to forget the risk of STD infection,maybe they`re widowed or divorced after long relationships and are oblivious to the risks? Especially in this age of Tinder and other dating apps/sites.

Regarding the NHS worker with a blood phobia...all part of today`s `Claim Culture` I think.
Although it does remind me of when I had a Saturday job in a Butcher`s shop,we had a new lad start,he was fine with everything,until he cut HIMSELF,it was a tiny nick,but the sight of his own blood made him pass out,he did himself more harm dropping down than he did with the cut!
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