AIDS in America

 

The AIDS Epidemic in America started in the homosexual community and continues to be a major problem for the male homosexual. With almost 20 years of HIV/AIDS education, research and prevention, we are no closer to a cure or vaccine that can stop spreading the HIV virus. The behaviors that spread this deadly disease, especially in the "gay" community has not stopped and in some circles is growing. The following information tracts the virus from its beginning in America to the present and the homosexual's community responsibility for not controlling the behaviors that continue to plague "gay" America.

 

According to B. Frank Polk, director of the John Hopkins University's component of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, " In gay men, 95% or more of the infections occur from receptive anal intercourse." The American Journal of Public Health reported that in one study of 240 men who became infected with AIDS, all but 4 had engaged in anal sex as a receptor. Lately, thanks to AIDS the word "promiscuity" has begun to acquire an unfavorable connotation among homosexuals, but not so long ago it was carried as a badge of honor, if not a defining condition of homosexuality itself. It is certainly a defining characteristic of AIDS suffers. Source: M. Fumento, " AIDS: Are Heterosexuals at Risk? " Commentary 84 ( November 1987 ) pp. 22-23.

 

Homosexual males are at least 30 times more likely to contract HIV. Anal intercourse, receptive and insertive, second only to oral copulation as the most practiced homosexual behavior, has been identified as especially conducive to HIV infection. Source: Coates, Randall A., et al., " Risk Factors for HIV Infection in Males Sexual Contacts of Men with AIDS or an AIDS-related Condition," The American Journal of Epidemiology, 1988, Vol. 5, no. 4.

 

In 1988, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) canceled a condom study among homosexual youth and stated " In a place like L.A., in the gay community, one would really be talking about delaying the infection rather than preventing it." Source: Allan Parachini, " AIDS-Condom Study Grant Cut Off by U.S.," Los Angeles Times, August 10, 1988, sec. A.

 

Homosexuals have been the principal recipients and transmitters of the AIDS virus - 70% of all AIDS cases have occurred in homosexual men; in some states and in Europe, the percentages are even higher. Source: W. Heyward and J. Curran, " The Epidemiology of AIDS in the U.S.," Scientific American, October 1988, p. 78.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), homosexual men are a thousand times more likely to contract AIDS than the general heterosexual population. Source: " The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of HIV/AIDS, January, 1992, p. 9.

Also in 1992, three London STD clinics reported that almost half of their homosexual patients who knew they were infected with HIV had then contracted rectal gonorrhea. Source: Newell, A., et al, " Sexually transmitted diseases and anal papillomas," British Medical Journal, 1992, Vol. 305, pp. 1435-6.

 

Studies of young gay men consistently show high levels of (HIV) infection. In a sentinel study of STD clinics around the country, on average, 30% of young gay males were infected with HIV. Source: Wendall DA, et al., " Youth at risk: Sex, drugs and HIV," American Journal of Diseases of Children 146, 1992, p. 76.

 

A Dutch study calculated the probability of HIV infection per partner at 6.1% for those who practice homosexual anal intercourse without a condom. Although no reasonable person would board an airplane knowing there was one chance in seventeen or one chance in a hundred that the plane would crash. But yet tens of thousands of homosexual men board that plane again, and again, with tragic consequences. Source: J. B. F. de Wit al., " Safe Sexual Practices Not Reliably Maintained by homosexual Men," American Journal of Public Health 82 (April 1992); pp.615-16.

 

The results of a 1991 study of homosexual men, ages 20-39, led researches of the Alan Guttmacher Institute to conclude: " Our results show that the threat of AIDS has not stopped (homosexual) men from engaging in unprotected sex and that this continued risk-taking does not appear to result from lack of awareness." Source: Tanfer,K., et al., " Condom Use Among U.S. men, 1991." Family Planning Perspectives, March/April 1993, Vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 61-66.

 

As of the end of June 30, 1993, 315,390 cases of AIDS have been reported. Of these, 191,642 were homosexual and bisexual men. Source: "HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report," July 1993, Vol. 5, no. 2., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pp. 6-12.

 

While AIDS is not solely a homosexual disease, the disease was confined almost exclusively to homosexuals (males) in the beginning years of the epidemic in the United States, and homosexuals continue to make up the majority of cases. Source: CDC Fax Information Service, Doc, #320201, July 21, 1993.

 

A cover story in the Los Angles Times Magazine featured a number of young men who were HIV positive ( or would eventually become so ) who risk death in pursuit of the perfect orgasm. Source: Robert A. Jones, " Courting Death: Why a Generation of Young Gay Males Won't Play it Safe," Los Angles Times Magazine, July 25, 1993.

 

AIDS had claimed approximately 350,000 lives by the end of 1994 in the United States, 70% of those death ( 250,000 ) were men who had sex with men, and at least that many more homosexual are currently HIV-infected. Source: Centers for Disease Control, " Projections of The Numbers of Persons Diagnosed with AIDS and the Number of Immuno-suppressed HIV-Infected Person - United States, 1992-1994."

 

Accumulating research shows alarming high HIV prevalence rates among young "gay" men and high rates of sexual risk-taking, suggesting that young "gay" men in their 20s' are forging a " second wave " of the AIDS epidemic. During the 1980s', the median age at HIV infection was older than 30 years. It dropped to 25 years during the period from 1987-1991. From 1987 to 1991, one in every four newly infected individuals in the US was age 22 or under. Source: Rosenberg PS, Biggar RJ, Goedert JJ, " Declining age at HIV infection in the United States," New England Journal of Medicine 1994: vol. 330: pp.789-790.

 

Data from the national Multi-center AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), used to project overall risk of HIV infection, estimated that a 20-year-old male who has sex with men has a 20% chance of becoming infected before age 25. HIV prevalence estimates among men who sex with men range from 27% in Dallas and Houston, 28% in Denver, 30% in New York, 31% in Miami, and 41% in San Francisco. Source: Coates TJ, Faigle M, Stall RD, " Does HIV Prevention Work for Men Who Have Sex With Men? " Report for the Office of Technology Assessment, San Francisco, University of California, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, February 1995.

 

Young African-American "gay" men were found to have especially high HIV seroprevalence (21%). A study of "gay" men aged 18-24 in New York City found 9% HIV positive. Source: Dean L, Meyer I, " HIV prevalence and sexual behavior in a cohort of New York City gay men (age 18-24)," Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1995; vol. 5: pp. 208-211.

 

Of particular concern is that HIV infection continues to be high among young homosexual men. Indeed, it is estimated that 7% of the homosexual and bisexual adolescent and young men ( ages 15-22 ) are infected with HIV. Source: Haney, DQ. ( 1996, February 11 ), " AIDS on the rise in young homosexuals," Austin American Statesman, p. A16.

 

More than 2,750 homosexual/bisexual male clients of an HIV testing clinic in Mexico City participated in a survey. For this population, more than one-third reported rectal bleeding, including 8 % who said they bleed in at last one of every 2 encounters. Rectal bleeding was associated lots of anal intercourse and the practice of "fisting". Those men who bled during the majority of their sexual contacts had an 80% higher risk of HIV infection. Men who had anal warts and bled during intercourse were 3.5 times more likely to be HIV infected. Source: Coplan, PM, Gortmaker,S., Hernandez-Avila, M., Spiegelman D., Uribe-Zuniga P., Mueller, NE, (1996), HIV infection in Mexico City; Rectal bleeding and anal warts as risk factors among men reporting sex with men. American Journal of Epidemiology 144 (9), pp. 817-827.

 

In the Oceania region of the world, 75,000 cumulative adult HIV infections have occurred in this region, with nearly a third in Australia and New Zealand. Most infections have occurred among homosexual men, and the gender ratio infected individuals is 7 to 1, indicating a lower degree of heterosexual transmission than that observed in other regions. Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), February 28, 1997, MMWR November 22, 1996 and HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 1996; end-year report.

 

The latest news in the fight against AIDS is that some doctors are administering medication to prevent AIDS infection. If those doctors are correct, some lives will be saved. This, of course, is reason to celebrate. Yet the history of the AIDS crisis suggests that there may also be reason for concern. Ever since the connection was made between HIV infection and sexual activity, many doctors and health officials have agreed with gay-rights advocates that the use of condoms amounts to "safe sex". The correct term is really "safer sex." Condoms don't eliminate the possibility of infection, they mostly reduce it. The only truly safe options, as leaders of the religious right regularly point out, are monogamy and abstinence. It has long been recognized that "safe sex" rhetoric is potentially disastrous, because it leads to inculcate a false sense of security: " If I use a condom, I'll be ok." But if the public (gay men) perceives morning-after pills, together with condoms, as part of a new, improved "safe sex" package, the result may be reinforcement of the potentially dangerous idea, that any kind of sex with anybody at any time is indeed safe. Source: Bruce Bawer, "The morning after is too late for safe sex," The New York Times; June 15, 1997.

 

The AIDS epidemic exploded into the prison system, affecting many people who were already seropositive for HIV and creating an ideal medium in which the virus could spread - a setting in which same-sex encounters are common and drug use widespread. The 1994 report of about 5000 AIDS cases in state and federal prisons reflects an increase of 59% over the 1992-1993 data and describes the "highest concentration found anywhere in the US of persons already infected with HIV." Moreover, experts agree that these numbers represent an underreporting of the problem. AIDS is now the leading cause of death among black men between the ages of 25 to 44. But not all HIV-positive persons remain behind bars. In 1991, the revolving doors of the state correctional institutions in New York discharged 4000 of their 8000 HIV-infected inmates back into the community. Source: ( The Jossey-Bass Health Series ), by RL, Braithwaite, TM, Hammett, RM, Mayberry, " Prisons and AIDS: A Public Health Challenge," The New England Journal of Medicine, book review, July 24, 1997, Vol. 337, No. 4.

 

The New York Times reported in 1997 that a young male homosexual has about a 50% chance of getting HIV by middle age, that many homosexual men have abandoned "safe sex" in favor of unprotected anal sex, and that the incidence of gonorrhea rose 74% among homosexuals between 1993 to 1996. Source: Sheryl Gay Stolberg, " Gay Culture Wieghs Sense and Sexuality," New York Times (Late edition, east coast), November 23, 1997, section 4, p.1.

" Male to male sexual contact accounts for more than 33% of all Adolescents AIDS cases and nearly 66% of cases among 20-24 year-olds. Beginning at age 20, men who have sex with other men represent the largest transmission category, highlighting the continued high risk of young gay and bisexual males for HIV infection." Source: Caitlin Ryan and Donna Futterman, " Lesbian & Gay Youth," Columbia University Press, New York, 1998.

 

As of 1998, 54% of all AIDS cases in American were homosexual men and according CDC nearly 90% of these men acquired HIV through sexual activity with other men. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (1998, June), HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 10 (1).

 

It is estimated that half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under 25, and the (great) majority of young people are infected sexually. Among 13-to 24-year-olds, 52% of all AIDS cases reported among males in 1997 were among young men who have sex with men (MSM). Source: CDC Fact Sheet: "Young People at Risk," Center for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, July 24, 1998.

 

The first large-scale study of 545 young, HIV-positive homosexual males infected in New York City has found that large numbers have become infected with the virus in the last two years. The results indicated that 12% of their sample of 15 to 22-year-old men who had sex with men (MSM) are infected with HIV. The study found that 46% of respondents reported that they had unprotected anal sex within the last 6 months. 18% of young African-American men and 16% of gay men of mixed race in the survey were HIV positive. The HIV infection rate among the young men who previously had a STD was 23%, while it was 10% among those without such a history. Source: Lynda Richardson, " Study Finds HIV infection id High for Young Gay Men," New York Times, February 16, 1999.

 

Paul Denning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed data that demonstrates a very disturbing trend in men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. There are over 500,000 MSM (homosexual men) with HIV infection reported through June 1999 - more than any other risk group. HIV prevalence rates among cohorts of MSM in San Francisco and Seattle approach 10%, and there is abundant evidence that after years of declining incidence of STDs in MSM, rates have been increasing in many cities over the past 4 years. Rates of rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia have essentially doubled in Seattle, Chicago, Portland and Washington, DC. Is the stage being set for a resurgence of HIV transmission in MSM? The preponderance of evidence says yes. The increase in STDs reflects high-risk behavior, and this is also associated with increased HIV transmission rates. It is likely that increases in HIV prevalence in those (gay men) populations will be seen. HIV sentinel surveillance and reinvigorated prevention interventions among MSM are urgently needed. Source: Denning PH, " Is the stage being set for a resurgence in the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men? " Programs and abstracts of the 7th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, January 30th - February 2, 2000; San Francisco, Calf., Abstract 30S.

 

The Serologic Testing Algorithm for recent HIV Seroconversions (STARHS) study of 96,000 clients seen at STD clinics in Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Denver and Los Angeles between 1991 and 1997 found that about 8% of "gay" men became infected each year, 17 times the rate found among heterosexuals. Also, a survey of 3,492 "gay" men 15 to 22 years old in Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle found that an average of 7% had contracted HIV. STARHS testing revealed that 3% became newly infected each year. Source: Kavin Halperin, " STARHS TREK: How quickly is HIV Spreading? ", HIV PLUS, Feb,/Mar.2000, page 9.

 

"AIDS study: danger of oral sex high" The Los Angeles Times stated: "At least 8% of all cases of HIV infection result from oral sex according to the researchers form the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention" This study came from San Francisco studying the sexual practices of 122 gay and bi-sexual men who became HIV positive. Source: Cameron Wolf, "Is It Safe?," Gay Men want to know the truth about oral sex and HIV infection, Is sucking safe? Baltimore Alternative Newspaper, April 4, 2000, pp. 15-16.

 

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Helene D. Gayle, MPH, warned that she's scared that new trends indicate an increase in the deadly disease (HIV/AIDS) that is believed to currently infect more than 850,000 Americans. Dr. Gayle tells WebMD that she is concerned about trends that indicate AIDS rates could rise again after years of steady decline and stability - especially due to risky behavior among young (gay) men and women. Dr. Gayle adds that as many as 5 million Americans are at risk of AIDS due to risky behavior. Among the findings: Data indicating that just over 2% of the population engage in risky behavior: unprotected sex or drug-related risks. In addition, the San Francisco Department of Public Health reported a striking increase in new HIV infections between 1997 and 1999. The data show increases in infection of about 8% in 1998, the highest levels since 1991( just about all coming from the gay community). Dr. Gayle states " I'm scared when we see increases in rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). I'm scared when I see rates for gonorrhea among gay men increasing. I'm scared when I see the rates of AIDS cases in San Francisco - which have been declining for six years - rise again. Dr. Gayle worries that a deadly combination of complacency over getting AIDS and the availability of the highly effective HIV treatments is behind a return to risky behaviors. She cites new surveys showing that young men who have sex with men (MSM) are engaging in unprotected sex, believing that new drugs will reduce the risk of dying from AIDS. " We should not have to have another generation of gay men suffer though HIV infection as a right of passage," Dr.Gayle says. " Despite the dramatic benefits new treatments have had in extending the lives of individuals with HIV, the overall shortfalls of AIDS treatments are becoming increasingly apparent, and HIV infection and risky behaviors continue at levels far too high (in the homosexual community)." Source: Ed Susman, "AIDS could rise again in the U.S., Statistics show - Experts say even stable numbers can spell trouble," WebMD Medical News, Durban, South Africa, July 8, 2000.

 

An article appeared (7/12/00) in an issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that researchers administered HIV-infection tests to 3,492 homosexual and bisexual men age 15 to 22. The researchers found that, on average, 7% carry HIV - a number the report terms a "high prevalence" of the infection that produces AIDS. The report concludes... " a significant and continuing HIV epidemic among [homosexual and bisexual males]. The results are alarming in light of the men's youth and compared with HIV prevalence for samples of primarily heterosexual youth in the United States," the report states. John Hylton of the John Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health says the results are "incredibly significant...We're talking of men who are just becoming sexually active - men who are becoming acculturated into the gay social scene." But the results also are disconcerting because the study's participants presumably have been exposed to "HIV/AIDS prevention educational initiatives while they were growing up" the study points out...nearly 1 in 10 (9.7%) of 22-year old participants tested positive for the virus. None (0) of the 15-year-olds was found to be infected at the time of the testing, which extended from 1994 to 1998. 41% of those in the overall group stated they were engaging in unprotected sex, which heightens the risk of becoming infected. Researchers called that fact "sobering," and led the scientists to declare: "Considering their age, the high prevalence of recent unsafe sex, and the high HIV prevalence in [those tested], many of the HIV-negative men are likely to become HIV-infected in the near future." Because youths in the age groups studied are hard to reach...They scoured dance clubs, bars, businesses, bathhouses, health clubs, parks, beaches, and social organizations for [homosexuals]...The half-dozen more limited studies of younger men that were undertaken in the 1990s also found "high prevalence of HIV and sexual risk behaviors" among homosexual and bisexual (men)... The CDC's current records indicate that at least 61% of all HIV infections in the United States are homosexual or bisexual men. Source: August Gribbin, "Study finds rise in HIV among young gay men," The Washington Times, July 12, 2000.

 

Despite the availability of effective interventions, the rate of HIV transmission and disease among African Americans remains disproportionately high compared with whites, and is not declining significantly, according to a report by researches from the CDC. The report states " Between 1988 and 1994, new AIDS diagnoses among African Americans gay and bisexual men increased by 49% in New York City, 48% in Los Angles and 53% in San Francisco. During the same time AIDS incidence among white gay and bisexual men decreased in all three cities." Source: Reuters Medical News, "HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among African Americans Continues Unabated," Westport, Conn., July 18, 2000.

 

The news about AIDS and gay men from the XIII International Conference is sobering. David Holtgrave, director of the CDC HIV Prevention Division notes," The evidence continues to mount that gay men of all races remain at alarming risk for (HIV) infection. In fact, risk may again be increasing in some (gay) communities." According to the Dutch researchers, HIV-negative gay men under 30 years old significantly increased unprotected anal intercourse over the last 8 years. They note a concurrent rise in anal gonorrhea rates not seen since the early 1980s. They also note that there was a surge in risky behavior after achieving undetectable viral loads among HIV-positive men, and this seems to happen with casual partners rather than steady relationships. Canadian researcher Livonia Calzavara also notes increased incidence of new HIV infections over the '98-'99 period compared with '96-'97. This increase is not only high among 20-29 year-olds, but there is also a dramatic rise in rates among 30-39 and 40-49 year-old gay and bisexual men. They received reports of safer-sex fatigue from gay men who have grown weary of the constant threat of disease. Calzavara also notes, " there is also the belief that HIV is easily treated." For HIV-negative men, reduced concern about HIV seems to be responsible for taking increased risks with causal partners. Researcher Ron Stall presented data from the Urban Men's Health Study, which surveyed gay and bisexual men from households in four U.S. cities: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The study found that 17% of gay men are currently infected. Stall notes that, " (it) is particularly important and strategic time for gay men. Failing to continue in our efforts in curbing the epidemic could find us again with rates of 50% or higher among gay men." In summary, the epidemic continues to spread (in the gay community) despite CDC prevention efforts. We have the same rates of infection (as Africa) among gay men right here in the United States. Source: Cameron Wolf, " Breaking the Silence: Gay men report 'safe-sex fatigue,' resulting in risky behavior," Baltimore Alternative, July 25, 2000; p.20.

 

Mounting evidence indicates that the concern about high-risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) is warranted. The rates of new HIV infection in Calgary, Canada show that gay men are the highest risk group, according to an article in the Calgary Herald August 8. The Alberta Health and Wellness Report show that 36% of new HIV cases in Calgary were found among men who have sex with men, as reported in the Herald. Part of the reason for high rates in Calgary may be that younger gays are not concerned about getting HIV/AIDS. Gay rights activist Stephen Lock said the availability of medicine and the possibility of a cure may be behind the complacency, according to the Herald. "The disease is becoming more manageable and there is a tendency to be switched off to its deadly effects," said Lock. Source: Sarah Albert, " Gay Sex Leading Cause of New HIV Cases in Calgary," GayHealth.com; August 9, 2000.

 

"... I have lived (to) 64, and of those years 46 as a gay person. Twenty of those years as a gift of sobriety. Frosting on my dwinding cake of life... The 80's and 90's brought the AIDS epidemic and the loss of countless lives. Of my close friends 10 are lovingly remembered." Source: Charles Alexander, "What's really behind closed door?", Between the Lines, www.pridesoucre.com/cgi-bm/article-383604/, January 2, 2001.

 

"Even the smallest self-defeating habit is hard to change. Breaking free of destructive sexual practices is far more difficult... We shouldn't be surprised by new studies showing a rise in gay men having unsafe sex. Most disturbingly, many of the men know they are already infected with the HIV virus and knowingly engage in high-risk behavior likely to infect their unaware sex partners... Meanwhile, more and more people are becoming infected with vicious strains of HIV resistant to treatments. 'I see only danger on the horizon,' says Gabriel Rotello, who warned of the dangers of multiple sex partners in his controversial 1997 book Sexual Ecology... Nearly one in three black gay men in six studied U.S. cities is infected with the AIDS virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found. USA TODAY reports that the study is ongoing look at 2,400 gay and bisexual men aged 23 to 29 in Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Seattle. By contrast, 15% of Hispanics and 7% of whites are infected." Source: Deb Price, " HIV-infected must ensure safety of all," The Detroit News, www.detnews.com, February 26, 2001.

 

 

Source: http://www.cprmd.org/Myths/Myth_Fact_011.htm

 

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