[Abcdxxxx]

I can't really read through this thread, because it makes my stomach turn... so this isn't meant for debate as much as just a general comment.

It should go without saying, AIDS/HIV has effected every color, gender, religion, political affiliation, height, weight, age, nationality....whatever. The disporportionate numbers show a lapse in preventative behavior - and that is all they show. Not just the lack of protection, but the lack of awareness one has the disease, and the acceptance to let your status be known. The pills are debate able...the causes, and origins are debatable.... what isn't debateable is that the disease spreads through careless behavior involving a transmission of fluids. I get the feeling from reading these posts that we're not all grasping that.

I lived in SF during the worst of the AIDS crisis, and let me tell you... most victims were dead long before they even had a chance to figure out how they got sick. Now people can live years and years, and appear healthy. One more reason why you're seeing greater numbers in Black Americans, or Africans is because they are being tested in greater numbers then ever before. If they set up mandatory testing for hipsters in open relationships, you'd see a huge boom in priviledged white 20-somethings with obscure record collections coming down with the disease. Who do you know that's using condoms 100% all the time? Who do you know that hasn't been cheated on? Who do you know that hasn't engaged in risky behavior with a partner that didn't disclose their entire sexual history? Who uses protection for oral sex? How do we know HIV testing is accurate? That's the problem. I hate to sound doom and gloom but I predict there will be another HIV outbreak in the next 10 years, from mainly dormant cases.