Question: I had a friend of mine, a doctor, tell me during a discussion the other night that sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and Hepatitis are grossely over-presented in the media. He said that in North American middle class wasp hetero communities, the odds of being infected with these diseases are EXTREMELY rare. I believe the statistics back him up on this? Comments?
i do not care what he says if u see someone or know someone who is dying from aids, u will use a condom everytime. I also think that any healtcare worker who says what he or she said, is discouruging use of condoms and is a fool.
You've raised an interesting point. According to the CDC's 2001 data, only 9 percent of HIV cases occurred in men who contracted the virus from heterosexual contact.
Of all male cases, white men ages 13-29 constituted only 7.1 percent of the HIV cases.
But here's the problem: HIV is so huge that the 7.1 percent is actualy 47,821 American guys infected with HIV.
In other words, it's true that the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS is less among white, heterosexual men, but the disease is so rampant that even a small percentage reflects a huge number of people.
Other sexually-transmitted diseases present an even greater threat, especially to young white men. There was a recent outbreak of syphilis in an affluent Atlanta suburb, if that gives you any idea.
Likewise, HIV isn't the only one that can kill you. The CDC estimates that 20 million Americans are infected with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer in women.
The CDC estimates that 2 million have chlamydia, which can cause complications like Reiter's sydrome and life-threatening pelvic inflammatory disease (it also causes sterility.)
They think that about 417,000 Americans have Hepatitis B, which can cause liver cancer.
My advise: enjoy sex, but enjoy with a condom. These diseases are so prevalent that nobody is safe.
I read that 30 million people in the US have STDS.
That's not just AIDS but it takes into account: clymidia, vd, syphillis, herpes, hpv, etc.
I wonder why a doctor would downplay something as serious as STD's?
In Africa AIDS is mainly a heterosexual disease and they are dying left and right. It's very serious. That's why Pres. Bush is giving them billions of dollars in help.
Sure, our rates may be low compared to Africa, but we still need to work on getting it lower.
[This message has been edited by JAYB (edited 08-03-2003).]
The doctor is pretty much correct, but he only mentions two STDs, not the others (he left out HSV, for example). So, while getting heterosexual HIV is pretty low, the risk of HSV, HPV and the bacterial infections is actually pretty high.
Even if you don't care about these other STDs they, at least, won't kill you (if you get proper treatment). The risk of HIV is certainly not zero, so you need to ask yourself two questions each time you presented with a partner willing to have unprotected sex:
1. Am I feeling lucky today?
2. Is this person willing to have unprotected sex with me because they are already infected?
[This message has been edited by Magnetic (edited 08-03-2003).]
STDs - Fear Factor and Over-reaction?! 
