POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Iggy on June 08, 2008, 10:31:26 am
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The actual headline of a news report by Fox
It refers to an Independent (UK) story:
Threat of world Aids pandemic among heterosexuals is over, report admits
A 25-year health campaign was misplaced outside the continent of Africa. But the disease still kills more than all wars and conflicts
By Jeremy Laurance
Sunday, 8 June 2008
A quarter of a century after the outbreak of Aids, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has accepted that the threat of a global heterosexual pandemic has disappeared.
In the first official admission that the universal prevention strategy promoted by the major Aids organisations may have been misdirected, Kevin de Cock, the head of the WHO's department of HIV/Aids said there will be no generalised epidemic of Aids in the heterosexual population outside Africa.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/threat-of-world-aids-pandemic-among-heterosexuals-is-over-report-admits-842478.html
I haven't read the original report yet, but even if the story is accurate about the WHO's findings, it's amazing to see the media spin this as if the world was lied to (e.g. "admits) about the risk to heterosexuals, as well as the idea that homosexuals aren't part of the general populace and shouldn't be included in any definition of an epidemic that concerns the rest of the world.
Am I surprised that conservative media would do this? Nope, just saddened and frustrated, as well as worried becuase it certainly makes it easier for any heterosexuals to have backing to any sort of ignorant rationale that they don't have to worry about HIV.
Fox link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364345,00.html
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Wow, this is just pure BS. I can't believe they would say something like that! Its far from over. :(
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The UK publication The Independent is not right wing.
I'm not sure that I see the big deal -- it's simply saying that in terms of a defined pandemic in heterosexuals the definition only applies in Africa, not elsewhere. I guess it's just a semantics issue and maybe it's better not to wring your hands. It doesn't mean that the international health community is going to take their ball and go home. It just means that the once long held belief that what happened with heterosexuals in Africa would spread to Asia doesn't seem to be the case.
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It is semantics, but unfortunately, it's semantics that lead straight people living outside Africa to believe they're not at risk.
I bought the hype, and look where it got me. >:(
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Philly,
That's good to know about the Independent, but I was speaking of Fox news (where the subject line is from) when I discussed the conservative media. Sorry if my post wasn't clear.
As both you and Ann correctly state, this is of course a matter of semantics - A very apt way to look at this...of course I'm certain that you would agree that semantics that can be manipulated to reinforce an image that heterosexuals need not worry about HIV or that homosexuals are not part of a general population can border on dangerous.
I very much enjoy your image of "wringing" that you cite, but instead of wringing of hands as you suggest, I would call it a ringing of an alarm that to educators, prevention experts or anyone who is concerned about HIV that the though the battle is far from over, certain people, organizations and media think it is something that they need not worry about.
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Both of these articles just fly in the face of everything that we have been working so hard to end. Not only do either article actually quote or name the report, it only quotes on man, Dr. Kevin de Cock, through out.
After reading through the report, Dr. de Cock is not even quoted in the report at all.
The actual report can be found here (http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/2008progressreport/en/index.html).
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The reporter in question has a questionable approach to HIV, as noted by this reader on his previous "Work", other newspapers gave more balanced reports on the WHO progress report. And >cough< since when was Africa on the moon...
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The reporter in question has a questionable approach to HIV, as noted by this reader on his previous "Work", other newspapers gave more balanced reports on the WHO progress report. And >cough< since when was Africa on the moon...
Bingo!
We're not seeing the rampant spread of HIV globally among all demographics for a host of reasons -- condoms and the availability of HAART, at the top of the list -- but that shouldn't diminish the problem posed for those affected. I'm sure that the reporter has a special place in hell or a mental institution staked out already.
Cheers,
David