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An attitude of complacency is being blamed for a startling increase in new HIV infections among U.S. gays, according to the the head of U.N. AIDS agency.
“It seems like we have come full circle” in the United States, said Michael Sidibe, head of UNAIDS. “After almost no cases a few years ago we are seeing again this new peak among people who are not having access to all the information, the protection that is needed.”
While growing conservatism is also identified as a barrier to prevention, countries with far more repressive laws are not experiencing the same spike as the United States. Sidibe told journalists Monday that in countries where homosexuality is criminalized — such as China, Kenya and Malawi — infections among men who have sex with men has increased by a significant 33 percent, 365Gay.com reports.
And yet, in the United States, the 19-25 year-old set, who likely grew up watching “And the Band Played On” in high school health class, is experiencing an increase in new infections of more than the already shocking 50 percent seen among U.S. gays in general.
For a country that has been at the forefront of the fight against AIDS since the epidemic exploded in the 1980s, this is shameful news.
Sidibe called out the need for a “prevention revolution,” drawing comparisons to recent anti-smoking campaigns.
Can we get an amen, and a Facebook group for that revolution? ‘Cause apparently that ’80s imagery just isn’t ringing true like it used to.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Cain N. Abel // Mar 16, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Duh! Many are barebacking. Nobody cares anymore. Younger gay men complain about being told about safe sex. They don’t believe, don’t buy, don’t practice it. All the porn videos champion “raw” sex or “barebacking.” HIV/AIDS prevention that doesn’t acknowledge this or any responsibility among those having sex to educate and protect themselves is a joke. And don’t blame it on drugs or low self-esteem. Gay men dealt with both in the early days of the AIDS pandemic and still did their best to practice safe sex.
2 Ken Howard, LCSW // Apr 15, 2010 at 10:07 am
I believe much of what drives new infections is the complete abandonment of the young gay men in our society by Christian-Right dominated public health policy. George W. Bush appointed many “abstinence only” officials, and public health messages about many topics, including safer sex and HIV prevention, got “politicized” to be about Christian-Right, anti-sex, anti-gay sentiments rather than about the real-life practicalities on HIV prevention. Gay men are left to fend for themselves, “making up” stuff like “serosorting” or just plain shunning poz guys in a feeble attempt at improvising their own HIV prevention in the absence of funded programs that actually teach them. Until we separate public health from politics, this will continue, and very sadly. There is already too much fear and stigma about HIV even in the GAY community, and it’s born out of ignorance and the complete abandonment by our government health officials.
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