Here is a shocker...H.I.V. Cases on the rise for young gay men!

Because every year new young gay men become aware of their sexual desires.

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Updated On: 1/2/08 at 11:20 AM

Because the current administration insists that condoms only be discussed in terms of failure rates.

Because abstinence-only education is a betrayal of the basic tenets of public health.

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People make assumptions that because they put HIV facts "out there" into the world, it reaches people, even those who may feel that the messages are speaking to "somebody else" and not them for a whole host of reasons, including that they are not out even to themselves, or that they are in denial.

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I think the increase in HIV and crystal meth use go hand in hand.

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Oddly enough, the wisest words in that article come the city's health commissioner: party drugs that make people feel sexually invincible and treatment-drug ads that make HIV seem no worse than asthma or high blood pressure.

It's awful to say it, but the only thing that will change behavior in the 20-something and 30-something generations is what changed it ours: losing friends and lovers, going to hospitals, going to a different memorial service each week, watching friends die horrible, grueling, way-too-early deaths.

And the band plays on...

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The city’s health commissioner, Thomas R. Frieden, said in an interview that the increasing rates among younger men was being driven by stubbornly high rates of substance abuse, involving drugs like crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, which not only reduce inhibitions but can also lead to “hypersexuality”: extended periods of sexual activity, potentially with multiple partners.

Dr. Frieden also said that another likely explanation was “treatment optimism,” and the many messages gay men receive through AIDS drug advertisements that people like Mr. Arriola can live long and normal lives.

“People who grew up watching their friends die of AIDS are a lot more careful than those who didn’t,” said Dr. Frieden, who said he cared for large numbers of AIDS patients in his earlier medical practice.

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I really don't have it in me to get myself worked up over this anymore.

I am not picking on you, Phyllis, but that is the "burn out" attitude being faced by a lot of people like yourself, and a lot of younger kids who just don't want to talk about it.

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I know you aren't picking on me, dearie. And there's nothing to pick. I get a battery of tests four times a year, I stay informed, I ask questions, and I take responsibility for my own actions. My burn out is actually a burn out of getting myself worked up over the actions of others.

When I say "responsible-sex education" I also don't mean AIDS education for young adults. I mean it when we are young, pre- and early-teens starting to explore our sexuality. It's not about being preachy, just teaching responsibility. I believe if young people were taught this even before they became sexually active, we would see not only a decrease in new HIV cases but also teen pregnancies.

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EXCEPT THESE GUYS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

That's generally my thought, one that usually gets me verablly bitch-slapped or lectured on the political reasons for barebacking. I see what robbie's saying about the DL, but I look at these young kids on gay.com, etc who admit to being negative and I just can't figure out what's going on out there.

I agree with Joey that the concept of HIV is simply theoretical to people who are younger.

I just don't get that. Not that I disagree. I just don't get it.

Why do people trust what someone says without any further proof or security? Just because your last test was negative does not mean you ARE negative, especially if you have been active since then. AND some of you might be surprised at the number of HIV+ people that pass themselves as negative, or don't disclose, on sites such at gay.com and gaydar.co.uk.

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Or bigmuscle.com, bigmusclebear.com or normalgay.com.

Or adam4adam!

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