AIDS denial

G

GT WT

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The Link

This interesting version of science-denial was mentioned on an earlier thread. Note the similarity of the arguments to evolution-denial and climate change-denial.

It's also interesting that the signatories of the AID-denial letter include two prominent intelligen design/creationists - Philip Johnson & Jonnathan Wells.

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A quick glance on that website shows that it emphasizes quotes about this "controversy" from anywhere from 1986 to 2000. I would guess that some advancement on the knowledge of HIV/AIDS has been made since then.
 
Good luck to you, Bevo. Now, what about those HAART population studies. Meaningful or not?

The biggest HIV problem in the world is in Africa. This is almost totally unrelated to drug use or homosexuality. Bad information there has led to more deaths. 6000 people die a day, 6800 people are infected daily. Misinformation kills.
 
First I'd like to thank both NBM and GT for the well wishes. I appreciate them! I do want to say it again that my life is fantastic and outside of being banned from traveling to China and the US (haha, the irony), I'm doing extremely well.

NBM - your question about HAART. Yes it is meaningful. The drugs do what they are supposed to do and the pharmaceuticals have done a great job of improving dosage as well as minimalize side-effects. For example, one of the "hallmarks" of HIV/AIDS was lipodiastrophy (SP?) however that too is a drug issue and with better dosage is almost completely unheard of at this time.

Personally, i'm a big believer of the "placebo" effects - if a person thinks something will work, lo-and-behold even sugar works. Same with God effect, believers tend to do better. My opinion, health can in a large part be attributed to a positive frame of mind. Studys have demonstrated the power of positive thought over and over.

That said, i'm not going to pretend that sunshine and rainbows cure anything.

Regarding Africa, homosexuality and drug use are still problems. Perhaps not as pervasive and certainly not as big as the issues of missinformation which you correctly pointed out NBM. There is NO excuss for any belief that chickens feet or having sex with a virign will cure the disease. A temporary placebo as mentioned above, but that type of misinformation is potentially deadly and should in some instances be criminalized.

The more pressing issue Africa faces is one of poverty, poor food and water quality, lack of education, and sanitation.

Think of three things.
1.) When you get sick what causes you to get sick? What lowers a perfectly healthy immune system to the point where the body contracts a cold?
Did you drink that water in Mexico? Did you party too much the night before? Work very long hours and get little sleep? How about stress? All of these things naturally lower your immune system.

2.) Try thinking of HIV/AIDS as a parasite. It wants to live and replicate itself but lacks some basic qualities that humans can provide. When doctors take viral load counts, the numbers are usually very dynamic. My own counts have fluctuated from a low of 600 to up to 15,000 and now back down to around 6,000. Studys show this is very common. My opinion (don't take this as fact please) is that HIV also looks for an equilibrium point where it can live and not kill the host. Why kill a good thing?

3.) HIV/AIDS doesn't kill, opportunistic infections kill. Under HIV/AIDS the immune system is compromised - but not destroyed. In people with already bad immune systems (old, very young, heavy drug users) the disease is almost always totally fatal except under med use. However people with relatively good life styles, I beleive should be able to combat the disease effectively.

How long can a person fight off teh disease, I'm not sure, but I think many studies are biased because of the sample selected (even if the sample represents the vast majority of the population). Put simply, the sample selected (typically drug users, homosexuals, or people with questionable situations) tend to already be immune compromised.

just my thoughts on the subject.
 
THanks Jimmy! Dallas currently, but I tend to follow the winds around Texas. I'll be in Houston in not too many years then hopefully either end up in Austin or Dallas for good. Well, unless i hit the lotto then I'm off to some island in the mediteranian. Go fishing, sailing, and grow me some grapes and olives. Tell me that isn't the life!
 
wow, this is a fascinating thread. Bevo, thanks for opening up to us. you give me hope for a good friend. he has had full blown AIDS for almost 2 decades....he got HIV in the early 80's. i may send him some of your stuff, or if we could do a private message (if you are open to discussing your situation) perhaps we could contact each other.....
 
Actually Mop, the biggest and most exciting breakthrough for HIV/AIDS was reported in the Wall St. Journal a couple weeks ago.

Apparently a man in Germany who had full blow AIDS and was on medication was also hit with cancer (what a crappy 1-2 punch!). Well through radiation therapy where they killed his bone marrow (to kill the cancer). The doctor then implanted donated bone marrow from a person who I guess possessed a specific protein in his T-cells that made it difficult for HIV to attach and replicate itself.

The man who was HIV/AIDS+ has been absolutely undetectable and med free for almost 2 years now.

If your friend can continue to hold on, I believe that there will be a cure in 10-20 years tops.
 
The take away message from this is that opinions don't count for anything in science. Arguments about global warming depend a lot on this phenomenon, and it's got no basis in science.
 
Bevo
Thanks for your response. As for visa issues, I think you have a ban for entry to Russia, as well. No matter.

My remark re Africa was partially based on the 4 years I lived in Angola through 2003. There, and in our business in South Africa, we were looking at losing 30% of our workforce. The overall infection rates were staggering, far dwarfing any possible contribution from homosexuality, and no one can afford illegal drugs. The social infection path is overwhelmingly heterosexual, due in large part to the very loose approach to sex there, culturally. I mean, wowzer.

Poverty and bad governance are surely top problems in sub Saharan Africa, but no one there leaves HIV off the list of top problems. No one.

Besides our company programs on HIV in Angola, what little I know about HIV also came form this or last months Scientific American, which has a series of great articles on the biological basics, the history and current state of treatment, etc. Very informative, in that sense. If you haven't read it, you may find it interesting, or may find nothing new there.
Again, best of luck to you.
 
Bevo, i saw that and it is exciting....i think that has actually happened a few times. they are not sure when it works and when it doesn't though right?
 
NBM - Living in Africa would have been a a phenominal experience. I hope to be able to travel there some day. I agree with your assesment that homosexuality and drug use are not main causes for the spread. Overwhelmingly it is through heterosexual contact and mother-child transmition. My point was only that poverty leads to (obviously) very substandard living conditions which compromises an already overworked immune system from HIV. That is why I think the fatality rate is so much higher there than in developed countries. Of course access to quality medical care and medication is also a part of that, but I think it is harder for HIV to shift to AIDS when someone is in relatively good mental and physical health.

Regarding HIV bans in certain countries. I do live in the US, but we do have a ban on people with HIV entering the country which is pure BS. Also China, Russia and I think 2 other countries. Most have no ban.

GT - that is the gene, once we figure out how it works, it is only a matter of time before HIV turns into the next clamidia - annoying but not really important.

Name - That statement wasn't a knock against homosexuals, just a realization that those homosexuals who tend to be HIV+ or at the highest risk for infection tend to partake in certain very high risk activities. Things like bathhouses, bareback sex, cocain use to maintain thin bodies - all of these are very high risk for infection.
 
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