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24 Apr 2010 12:29

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Culture: Elton John redefines heartfelt with open letter to Ryan White

  • Twenty years ago this month, you died of AIDS. I would gladly give my fame and fortune if only I could have one more conversation with you, the friend who changed my life as well as the lives of millions living with HIV. Instead, I have written you this letter.
  • Elton John • In an open letter to Ryan White, the child with AIDS he befriended in the ’80s. He died 20 years ago this month, at age 18. White’s life and death brought significant attention to the disease, in part because he was vilified for having it (he got it through an accidental blood transfusion). Much has changed since White died – many people with AIDS live productive lives with the disease thanks to improved medication. Medication which, in part, was paid for in his name. Four months after he died, the Ryan White Care Act, which set aside $2 billion yearly for AIDS medication, passed. His life helped take a stigma away from a disease which was initially loaded with one. It’s too bad he couldn’t live to see that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

07 Mar 2010 12:18

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U.S.: D.C. takes a groundbreaking step in the fight against HIV

  • 500,000 free female condoms source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2009 09:39

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World: On World AIDS Day, South Africa’s ready to do something to stop HIV

  • 5.7
    million     people tested positive for HIV in South Africa in 2007 – the world’s highest rate
  • all children infected with HIV in the country will get anti-AIDS drugs starting next year source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

31 Oct 2009 10:52

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U.S.: Did you know HIV-positive people couldn’t enter the U.S. for 22 years?

  • If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.
  • Barack Obama • Describing his decision to turn over a 22-year-old ban on HIV-positive people entering the country. Just a dozen countries had the ban, which sounds like it was put in place at the height of misinformation and hysteria about the disease. While we’re glad it’s getting overturned, it’s a sad statement on our country that the ban existed in the first place. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2009 11:01

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U.S., World: Daily Poll: Would YOU take an HIV vaccine if it was offered?

Posted by Ernie Smith • 6 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2009 08:24

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U.S., World: More on the HIV vaccine: What’s next and what’s possible?

  • Tests will have been done to verify that the difference is unlikely to have occurred by chance and I have no trouble believing the figures.
  • Dr. Adriano Boasso • An HIV expert at Imperial College London, on whether or not the findings mean something. According to Boasso and others, they mean a lot. While it’s possible the results come down to chance, the release of the full trial data will go a long way in confirming exactly how successful the drugs really were. The BBC has an informative Q&A which should answer some of the big questions on how it was done (a cocktail mix of a primer vaccine and a booster vaccine) and whether or not it’s ready for prime time (at 31.2%, no, but it’s a start). • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2009 08:12

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U.S., World: Well, that’s something; an AIDS vaccine that might just work

  • 31.2% cut in HIV infections with the new drug, compared to a placebo
  • zero cut in HIV infections with previous HIV drugs; that’s a big deal source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Jun 2009 22:00

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Culture: HIV transmission is still high for adult movie actors

  • 22 actors have gotten HIV from being in porn movies since 2004 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2009 13:39

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U.S.: A teen injected with HIV (by his dad!) as a baby defies the odds

  • I expect to break the barriers between what people think this virus is, and what it really is. I hope to eliminate a lot of ignorance and change people’s minds.
  • Brryan Jackson • On redefining what AIDS is to the average person. Jackson is graduating high school today, but he was not expected to live nearly this long. The 18-year-old went through a harrowing experience as a baby: His father, Brian Stewart, who initially denied paternity, did not want to pay child support and worked in a hospital where he pulled blood from patients, injected his then-11-month-old son with HIV-tainted blood. Which is why he’s currently serving life in prison. Jackson’s done well, considering what his dad did to him. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2009 19:09

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World: The freaking pope doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about

  • It (AIDS) cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem.
  • Pope Benedict • Talking about condom usage as a way to prevent AIDS in Cameroon. Dude, do you even know what condoms are? • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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