100 AIDS Conference Attendees died in the Malaysian Jet Crash

This is interesting and the talk of some conspiracy theorists.

100 passengers on board a Malaysian jetliner shot down over Ukraine were world-renowned researchers heading to an international AIDS conference in Australia.

Here's more

"The International AIDS Society (IAS) today expresses its sincere sadness at receiving news that a number of colleagues and friends en route to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference taking place in Melbourne, Australia, were on board the Malaysian Airlines MH17 flight that has crashed over Ukraine earlier today," the society wrote on its website. "At this incredibly sad and sensitive time the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy."

The flight out of Amsterdam was headed to Kuala Lumpur, with some of the passengers planning to connect for a follow-on flight to Australia. As the flight passed over territory held by pro-Russian separatists, it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

According to The Australian, it is believed that 108 of the passengers onboard were expected in Melbourne.

This is getting interesting by the moment

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Foolishness Alert: IAC PR Exec post an Insensitive Tweet about Africa, Race and AIDS

So this woman named, Justine Sacco tweeted this:

Well, it just seems like a regular idiot tweeting, but it's not. Justine is the head of public relations for IAC, a big media company that oversee the properties like the Daily Beast, CollegeHumor, OK Cupid, Tinder, Vimeo, Urbanspoon and other apps or sites you may use.

Twitter was buzzing after this mess hit. In fact, the HMIC, Barry Diller issued this statement:

"This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC. Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter, and we are taking appropriate action."

Oooh, Justine. You better get your resume together.

GOP State Senator Stacey Campfield proves that he's Stupid

In my homestate, a dark veil of shame is in the air; mostly because of this Godsend idiot State Senator Stacey Campfield.

In this interview he defends his stupidity about HIV/AIDS. It's a crime that this man is in office. Like Grad school, there should be some kind of test for folks to take in order to hold office.

Please watch this mess and pray to somebody's God for this dummy.

Interesting Quotes: GOP State Senator Stacey Campfield

In an interview with Michelangelo Signorile, Stacey had plenty of mess to say. Here's some quotes about AIDS:

"Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community -- it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall."


"My understanding is that it is virtually -- not completely, but virtually -- impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex...very rarely [transmitted]."


"What's the average lifespan of a homosexual? it's very short. Google it yourself."

This idiot is creator of the "Don't Say Gay" Bill

30 Years of AIDS

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the first few AIDS cases. Since then we have lost lovers, friends and family to this disease. But within the years, better treatments were created to keep people alive and well.

Now global leaders are making stronger commitments in improving AIDS treatment for everyone.

The U.N. General Assembly will take up the issue next week as it assesses progress in fighting the disease -- first reported on June 5, 1981 -- that has infected more than 60 million people and claimed nearly 30 million lives.

Guiding the meeting is groundbreaking new data that shows early treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, can cut its transmission to a sexual partner by 96 percent.

"There had been for a long time this artificial dichotomy or artificial tension between treatment versus prevention. Now it is very clear that treatment is prevention and treatment is an important part of a multifaceted combination strategy," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), told Reuters.

Fauci, who has made AIDS research his life's work, has a big role to play in the discussion of the NIH-funded study made public on May 12.

"A month ago, we didn't have that data. People were still arguing. 'Well, we are not so sure if you treat people you are really going to prevent infection,'" Fauci said. "The policy makers need to sit down and say, 'Now that we know this, is this going to be enough incentive to change around our policy?'"

That could mean redirecting, or adding to, global spending on fighting AIDS, particularly how much is spent on education or other research versus antiretroviral drugs that allow patients to live with the suppressed disease for many years.

In 2010, nearly $16 billion was spent on HIV response in low and middle-income countries, according to the U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS says at least $22 billion will be needed to combat the disease by 2015, helping avert 12 million new infections and 7.4 million more deaths in the next decade.

Hopefully soon, we will get rid of this disease.


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WATCH Obama Heckled about AIDS Funding and DADT

From AP:

President Barack Obama got heckled at a fundraiser Wednesday night by protesters pushing for more funding for AIDS programs and quicker action to allow gays to serve openly in the military.

Activists yelled slogans and held signs aloft reading "Obama broken promises KILL." Supporters of the president tried to drown them out with shouts of "O-bam-a! O-bam-a!"

The hecklers were so raucous Obama went off-script several times to address them, insisting he's increased AIDS funding and is working to overturn the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He told them to go shout at Republicans, noting that a vote on repealing "don't ask, don't tell" failed this week in the Senate, with Republicans united in opposition.

"Some of those signs should be going up at the other folks' events, and folks should be hollering at the other folks' event. Because the choice in November could not be clearer," the president said.

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The Uganda HIV/AIDS Control Bill seeks to use the Death Penalty

I have some of the Uganda HIV/AIDS Control Bill and it's not cute at all. Please check out this piece here:

This provision appears similar to one of the death-penalty clauses in the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. That portion of the bill reads as follows:

3. Aggravated homosexuality.

(1) A person commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality where the

(a) person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of 18 years;

(b) offender is a person living with HIV;

(c) offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offence is committed;

(d) offender is a person in authority over the person against whom the offence is committed;

(e) victim of the offence is a person with disability;

(f) offender is a serial offender, or

(g) offender applies, administers or causes to be used by any man or woman any drug, matter or thing with intent to stupefy overpower him or her so as to there by enable any person to have unlawful carnal connection with any person of the same sex,

(2) A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.
(3) Where a person is charged with the offence under this section, that person shall undergo a medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status.

Clause 3. (1) (b) was often cited to support the claim that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill would impose the death penalty for the “deliberate” spread of HIV, but it is important to note that the bill contains no requirement that the intent be deliberate at all. In fact, the third subclause would suggest that the death penalty would apply upon receiving a positive serostatus result from an HIV test, which might very well be the first time the charged individual would know he or she was HIV-positive. Alternately, if the accused already knew he was HIV-positive, the proposed bill provides no acknowledgment that the accused’s partner may have known about it and entered into a consensual relationship.

Health care professionals worry that the effect of the entire provision would be to discourage people from learning their HIV status.

A few weeks ago, the Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent newspaper, reported that a Cabinet subcommittee tasked to examine the Anti-Homosexuality Bill recommended that portions of the bill be passed as amendments to other pieces of legislation. Until now, speculation mainly centered around Clause 13 of the bill which would criminalize the “promotion” of homosexuality, which the subcommittee decided should be passed. It is unclear what recommendations the subcommittee offered with regard to the death penalty for people with HIV.

The Human Right Watch group see this as dangerous:

“The bill contains measures that have been proven ineffective against the AIDS epidemic and that violate the rights of people living with HIV,” said Joe Amon, Health and Human Rights director at Human Rights Watch. “The HIV epidemic in Uganda is getting worse, and this bill is another example of misguided, ideological approaches and lack of leadership.”

The bill as currently written codifies discredited approaches to the AIDS epidemic and contains dangerously vague criminal provisions. Contrary to international best practices, the bill would criminalize HIV transmission and behavior that might result in transmission by those who know their HIV status.

The bill would discourage voluntary HIV testing, while making testing mandatory for pregnant women, their partners, suspected perpetrators and victims of sexual offenses, drug users, and prostitutes, in violation of fundamental principles of consent. The bill also allows medical practitioners to disclose a patient’s HIV status to others, breaching confidentiality standards.

These provisions could potentially endanger those who are infected by exposing them to stigma, discrimination, and physical violence.

This is so out of control. I can't wrap my head around this. I mean, the children and the people feeling lost and in fear from anyone. It's a lot to take in if this passes.

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Sen. Evan Bayh tells a Bad, Bad AIDS joke.

This man has lost cool points before, but this mess takes the cake.

In his speech at a fundraising event, Bayh told this joke...


If you couldn't hear it, here's the transcript:

So I'm walking through the airport and people were kinda being nice and making eye contact and a couple come up and say hello. This one person runs up all excited and I'm prepared to say "Hello," and he says, "Senator Bayh! Senator Bayh!"

I said "Well, yes?" and he looked at me and said, "Do you have AIDS?"

[audible gasps]

I said, "Huh?"

He said, "Yeah. Do you have AIDS?"

I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say.

He said, "I've got a letter I want to give you, do you have someone I can hand this to? Do you have an aide with you?"

[laughter]

So you never know what people are going to say.

[more laughter]

Many of you have asked me... You've got to be prepared for about anything, you know?

As you saw in the clip, Bayh says he was misunderstood. What do you think?

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Some U.S. Cities Have Higher HIV Rates Than Africa

Great Hera, this ain't cute.

D.C. and NYC HIV cases among Black men are growing and growing.

More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected—a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30%—as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa.

This is not good. I hope the word is getting out there. This can not continue.

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New hope in HIV/AIDS research

Great news!
There are antibodies that can prevent HIV from becoming full blown AIDS...

After nearly two decades of futile searching for a vaccine against the AIDS virus, researchers are reporting the tantalizing discovery of antibodies that can prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and producing severe disease.

They do not have a vaccine yet, but they may well have a road map toward the production of one.

A team based at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla reports today in the journal Science that they have isolated two so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that can block the action of many strains of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS.

Possibly and hopefully, there will be a cure.

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Interesting Quote: Courtland Milloy

If ever there was a case for unvarnished sex education in public schools, the ongoing AIDS epidemic in black America ought to be it. Instead of education, what we get more often than not is homophobic nonsense from the pulpits of our black churches.





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