Many 'still ignorant about HIV'

[Angel]

What does it take for people to understand that you actually die of AIDS ?

There's no cure.. :hopeless:

There is still widespread ignorance about HIV, particularly among young people, research has suggested.

A survey by the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust found more than 20% of people aged 18 to 24 mistakenly thought there was a cure for HIV.
Among the same age group almost a quarter believed condoms have holes in them which let HIV through.
And more than one in ten young people thought the virus could be passed through kissing.
This is only a theoretical risk, and possible only if both parties have open sores, cuts or bleeding gums which bleed into each other. There has only been one suspected case of HIV being passed on in this way.


I think it's frightening too
Nick Partridge, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "It's frightening that 25 years after Terry Higgins' death, this level of confusion exists.
Rest of the story here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6262726.stm

[robdan]

i know where your coming from, there is alot of people out there who thinks that people in africa are the only ones who can get aids/hiv! i did a survey at college about this, and 87% of the students thought you can only catch it from blood, 65% thought you can only catch it off black people, it is scary to think people now a days think like that, it just shows the mentality of this generation is very very low!!!!

hopefully one day they might actually open their minds and accept that whatever race there is HIV/AIDS everywhere.


i dont think it will be any time soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[starlaugh]

It is scary that people have these beliefs! :you_crazy

We were told of the risks of HIV & AIDs when we were at school, it was part of our sex education.

[Angel]

It is scary that people have these beliefs! :you_crazy

We were told of the risks of HIV & AIDs when we were at school, it was part of our sex education.
Looks like it isn't enough or good enough :you_crazy

[MisterDuck]

65% thought you can only catch it off black people

i dont know whether to laugh or cry at that

contraception has never been easier to get hold of, they pretty much chuck condoms at you at every hospital, surgery, youth club, pharmacist, school etc.

[General Lighting]

I think too many people just ignore "bad news", particularly due to the false optimism that drugs can give people.

Mixed with existing prejudices this is a dangerous thing, and here in the West we can't even blame religious nutters as we still have a fair bit of freedom and a relatively permissive society..

[Tank Girl]

I think that this is not only specific to HIV / AIDS, as the STD/STI figures are on the increase too

When I was a young'un there were such horrific 'scare' tactics employed in the media -

for HIV and anti IV drugs campaign if I remember correctly - and that didnt help either as people still thought ' it wont happen to me / I wont get caught / hooked' :you_crazy

[General Lighting]

I think that this is not only specific to HIV / AIDS, as the STD/STI figures are on the increase too

When I was a young'un there were such horrific 'scare' tactics employed in the media -


we all grew up around that same time and I remember these "scare" tactics, but the problem though is that people today are well densensetised to anything because of the amount of extreme material on the internet such as porn/violence.

Also I suspect a lot of pepple lead fairly empty lives were it not for drugs and casual sex, some may not actually care if they lived or died....

[Tank Girl]

we all grew up around that same time and I remember these "scare" tactics, but the problem though is that people today are well densensetised to anything because of the amount of extreme material on the internet such as porn/violence.

Also I suspect a lot of pepple lead fairly empty lives were it not for drugs and casual sex, some may not actually care if they lived or died....

Thats why I said I dont think they helped either as we all thought ' it wont happen to me'

[starlaugh]

contraception has never been easier to get hold of, they pretty much chuck condoms at you at every hospital, surgery, youth club, pharmacist, school etc.

I know of people who are embarassed to buy condoms! :you_crazy

I mean what is there to be embarassed about? All your doing is showing you are sensible and actually getting some :biggreen:

Also its funny picking the youngest looking person working to serve you as they always seem to blush :shy: :laugh_at:

[MisterDuck]

I know of people who are embarassed to buy condoms! :you_crazy

I mean what is there to be embarassed about? All your doing is showing you are sensible and actually getting some :biggreen:

Also its funny picking the youngest looking person working to serve you as they always seem to blush :shy: :laugh_at:

yeah exactly, it's odd... the stupidest thing is, young people expect the boots (or whatever) staff to actually bat an eyelid!

one of me female mates got the mornin after pill from boots though and they gave her a lecture. i mean, perhaps she needed a lecture (she is 16), but it was pretty awkward stood in boots takin it from a complete stranger!

[marcusblanc]

Come on people, don't we need to discuss the drop in death rates due to AIDS/HIV, associated with the introduction of antiviral/retroviral drugs, to get any sense of historical perspective? :you_crazy

I found a Swiss study, which was a bit out of date, which said that the death rate per year fell from 13% to 3% (and less than 2% for non-injecting sufferers) between 1990 and 2001.

Also, an american study which said death rates in one state dropped 86% between 1994 and 2004.

I think this has a massive bearing on current attitudes... i can't believe no one has mentioned it yet. Its a pity we don't have anyone on here with medical training, isn't it Tank Girl! :groucho:

[Angel]

It's good that it have dropped :wink:

But with the information we have about it today,it should have dropped even more..

1 young person or older for that matter, getting it because of ignorance is 1 person to many..

I know, that you can get it from other things than sex ,but that is very rare today..

The only worry some young people have is getting pregnent

[Angel]

The 10 top myths about AIDS

LaVm3moZo_g&eurl

[marcusblanc]

Come on people, don't we need to discuss the drop in death rates due to AIDS/HIV, associated with the introduction of antiviral/retroviral drugs, to get any sense of historical perspective? :you_crazy

I found a Swiss study, which was a bit out of date, which said that the death rate per year fell from 13% to 3% (and less than 2% for non-injecting sufferers) between 1990 and 2001.

Also, an american study which said death rates in one state dropped 86% between 1994 and 2004.

I think this has a massive bearing on current attitudes... i can't believe no one has mentioned it yet. Its a pity we don't have anyone on here with medical training, isn't it Tank Girl! :groucho:


Think i was well past my bedtime...

Note to self, fluffy is good! You are right Angel, one death is too many, but the perception of HIV/AIDS has changed, and we have gone from terror to apathy...

[General Lighting]

Note to self, fluffy is good! You are right Angel, one death is too many, but the perception of HIV/AIDS has changed, and we have gone from terror to apathy...

What also worries me is that today some people, particularly burned out drug users are so bitter that if they knew they had HIV they would probably knowingly spread it until the authorities caught up with them :hopeless: (actually hasn't such cases already happened?)

[Tank Girl]

What also worries me is that today some people, particularly burned out drug users are so bitter that if they knew they had HIV they would probably knowingly spread it until the authorities caught up with them :hopeless: (actually hasn't such cases already happened?)

Unfortunatley I think it has on more than one occasion (male and female) and not just HIV but hep B / C also


I also know a few people (my dad being one)
who have been threatened by poeple with blood filled syringes claiming it has 'infected' blood in it......

[Angel]

What also worries me is that today some people, particularly burned out drug users are so bitter that if they knew they had HIV they would probably knowingly spread it until the authorities caught up with them :hopeless: (actually hasn't such cases already happened?)

Had a case a while back with a German female prostitute who had been infected with AIDS from a client..

She was so bitter and hated all men because of it...

She continued as a prostitute, to give so many men AIDS as possible in revenge :hopeless:

[robdan]

if any of you can get hold of a copy of "vice" vol5/No7,
in it is a very moving peice on AIDS in Russia called "The children of soviet aids"

in which children with aids are put in orphanages at eight and aer not told they have aids, i fond it very moving and sad that this happens.

i can put more about this peice on here if you want?