Well there goes my Disbelief in Conspiracy Theories

[sam66]

  Wow this really happend, and up to 1972.

      Numerous studies have documented that a significant proportion of HIV-positive African Americans hold misconceptions about the virus and its treatment, ultimately leading to mistrust of the government and the medical establishment when it comes to HIV. Such distrust is often tied to the history of the infamous Tuskegee study, conducted between 1932 and 1972, in which syphilis treatment was withheld from African-American men to study the effects of the disease.

                 http://www.poz.com/articles/hiv_african_american_761_17699.shtml

             I might have to change my opinion on Roswell

[mecch]

I am confused. Have you just learned about the Tuskegee experiment?

Ok, well I don't think it explains supposed black misconceptions about the virus and its treatment.  Think about it this way:  Blacks sharecroppers were used as guinea pigs.  Syphilis obviously effects any race. Knowing the truth about Tuskegee only shows that the medical establishment didn't value the lives of poor black people. New Orleans and Katrina proved the same, by the way, about the US government.

Since HIV obviously effects all races, as well, then if I were black I would be careful to get the same treatment as any other person.

Unfortunately, there were urban legends in the US black community in the 80s' and 90's that HIV was created to wipe out blacks. Unfortunately, black so-called "leaders" who do have influence such as Louis Farrakhan invented for their own cynical purposes these kinds of conspiracy theories, using Tuskegee as inspiration - saying things like JEWISH doctors and the JEWISH establishment created HIV to control the black power movement and black population growth.

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/AIDS_conspiracy_theories/

In my opinion, the study in the POZ article is flawed because it studied only blacks. There were the subjects:
All black, and "On average, the men had very low incomes, most identified barriers to health care, and only about 15 percent were employed. About 75 percent, however, had at least a 12th-grade education."

Now you tell me. Study ANY population where 85% are unemployed and most are dirt poor, and I bet you will find misconceptions about HIV virus and treatment.

Duh.

What is disheartening is the stupidity of such research because its quite like tuskegee all over again.  What about taking that sample of black HIV+ men and telling them they will have access to health care for the rest of their lives, and HAART, and giving them a workshop on the science behind HAART and the current knowledge about HIV, and THEN f*cking surveying them to see if they have "misconceptions". 

I knew all sorts of different people who had misconceptions about HIV in the 80's and 90's because they were freaking desperate!

[dixieman]

Nothing new? Oakridge Tennessee was used in the 1950's for radiation levels leaked out onto the community... over a persiod of time.... so why would Tuskegee be any different... who knows what else the government has done ... knowingly to its citizens?

[sam66]

I am confused. Have you just learned about the Tuskegee experiment?

       Yes forgive my ignorance, this is the first time I ve heard about the Tuskegee experiment.

        I have no opinion on the attitude of Black Americans towards HIV

        What I am shocked about is how the powers that be , can withhold treatment deliberately from
        a section of the population just to see what would happen.

        And I'm sure this kind of thing has happend, are happening in other countries too.

[mecch]

Yeah right you are! Its deplorable!  

So is this thread about the viability of conspiracy theories? Ah cool. I love conspiracy theories, cause there is always something truthful in them even if the theory is all wrong, they are a way to understand greater truths.

After Katrina, there was a conspiracy theory that the government blew up the dikes in the poor neighborhoods - for all sorts of nefarious reasons.

Last month, the regional Supreme Court said that the Army Corps of engineers was responsible for the flooding of New Orleans, pure and simply because the engineering and planning of the flood protection was piss ass poor.   So the conspiracy theory pointed to the same "truth" - nobody gave a shit about Americas most impoverished and uneducated urban black population.  

When the Twin Towers fell, Wall Street was cleaned up and operational in a few days.

[mecch]

        What I am shocked about is how the powers that be , can withhold treatment deliberately from
        a section of the population just to see what would happen.

Yep, that is what I'm saying is unfortunately true about the new study from Harvard Medical School.  So big deal they investigated that poor black men have misconceptions about HIV and treatment.  Why don't they just educate this group and give them good treatment!  Boggles the mind.

[emeraldize]

       Yes forgive my ignorance, this is the first time I ve heard about the Tuskegee experiment.

        I have no opinion on the attitude of Black Americans towards HIV

        What I am shocked about is how the powers that be , can withhold treatment deliberately from
        a section of the population just to see what would happen.

        And I'm sure this kind of thing has happend, are happening in other countries too.

HeyLo, Just popping in for a second to note that those reading this may or may not know Sam is from the UK and it makes sense that he wouldn't have heard/read as much as we have about the Tuskegee study. However, if you've ever watched a Jay Walking segment on the former Leno Tonight Show, you'll know there's a TON of people in our own country who don't know of it either along with sitting president/vice president names.