Interesting article on homosexuality

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Beavah writes:

Merlyn, vol_scouter is da medical professional and expert who actually read the studies instead of just Googling the CDC. He explained why you were wrong, not me.

 

He hasn't explained why I was wrong; his most recent post in this thread was:

The last studies (a few years ago) that I read stated that the majority of the heterosexual transmission was in prostitutes. Those studies noted that the incidence of IV drug abuse is very high among prostitutes but they were counted in the heterosexual transmission. The main mode of transmission is anal intercourse and IV drug abuse.

 

For some reason, vol_scouter doesn't want to count hookers transmitting HIV/AIDS to customers as heterosexual transmission, but he hasn't offered any justification for that. It plainly IS heterosexual transmission.

[Mr. Boyce]

The credibility of the APA on this subject is suspect. The means by which the organization came to a "decision" on this through a process similiar to the method used by gangsters holding a gun against your head. It's just unscientific.

 

Similarly, the American Bar Association and American Medical Association both hold political views achieved by political gaming.

[Mr. Boyce]

I think in 2010 we can all recognize that many such neutral and objective organizations can have these kinds of hijinks.

[vol_scouter]

Merlyn,

 

The issue is which category is a prostitute who uses IV drugs placed when they contract HIV/AIDS. The studies that I have read in the past indicated that they would be classified as heterosexual transmission rather than IV drug abuse. I have not read the most recent articles (last 3 years or so) as I had indicated. All of the studies indicate that vaginal sex has a low transmission rate. Anal sex is the most dangerous since there are epithelial cells with CD4 receptors so that the virus has a binding site. If that was not the case, there would be a widespread epidemic of HIV/AIDS since it is currently not curable. This is clearly not the case. The point is that male homosexuals lifestyle has some risks that others are not likely to face. That does not mean that they are 'bad' since that is a moral issue. It is not in the best interest of anyone to say because a group develops some disease in a disproportionate rate that they should be somehow censured. We should not confuse the two issues.

[sherminator505]

"It is not in the best interest of anyone to say because a group develops some disease in a disproportionate rate that they should be somehow censured. We should not confuse the two issues."

 

OK, I'll bite. What WOULD be a good reason to censure a group in a secular democracy?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

vol_scouter writes:

The issue is which category is a prostitute who uses IV drugs placed when they contract HIV/AIDS. The studies that I have read in the past indicated that they would be classified as heterosexual transmission rather than IV drug abuse.

 

Did the studies state why this was done, or what percentage of hookers were IV drug users at the time of contracting HIV/AIDS, or what percentage of hookers make up the total of heterosexual transmission? If not, you're making unwarranted assumptions.

 

...

All of the studies indicate that vaginal sex has a low transmission rate. Anal sex is the most dangerous since there are epithelial cells with CD4 receptors so that the virus has a binding site. If that was not the case, there would be a widespread epidemic of HIV/AIDS since it is currently not curable. This is clearly not the case. The point is that male homosexuals lifestyle has some risks that others are not likely to face.

 

You seem to be making the very incorrect assumption that only homosexual males have anal sex. Male/female anal sex would be "heterosexual transmission". Why are you making such an incorrect assumption?

 

[vol_scouter]

Merlyn,

 

I am sorry that you do not like the results. The studies mentioned the high incidence of IV drug abuse among prostitutes - that is how I know that. I did not say that heterosexuals do not have anal intercourse but that it is the primary method of sexual transmission. Since male homosexuals make up less than 2% of the male population but account for 54% of cases they are over represented. Since the studies feel like that the reporting under-reports IV drug abuse among female prostitutes, the heterosexual transmission is felt to be over estimated. The studies, not I, concluded that the disease is primarily a disease of male homosexuals, IV drug abusers, and female prostitutes who were likely to have contracted the disease from IV drug abuse. If you have issues, contact the authors.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

vol_scouter writes:

The studies, not I, concluded that the disease is primarily a disease of male homosexuals, IV drug abusers, and female prostitutes who were likely to have contracted the disease from IV drug abuse. If you have issues, contact the authors.

 

You know, if you had said this from the outset, I would have had no issue with it at all. However, you didn't say that the first time.

[Beavah]

OK, I'll bite. What WOULD be a good reason to censure a group in a secular democracy?

 

Yah, I reckon if their behavior is disruptive of the social fabric of the society, including social mores which are important to da society's health and cohesiveness. I like Eagledad's "would you encourage it in your children?" test.

 

Yeh might consider polygamy a private, personal marriage choice. Same with incest. Nonetheless, our society censures those things, both with social pressure and law, eh? We feel, rightly or wrongly, that polygamy is oppressive of women, even if they freely choose to engage in it. We censure female circumcision for similar reasons, even though da practice is socially important or accepted in other cultures, and among immigrants from those cultures. Same with arranged marriages.

 

We censure child pornography, and restrict access to other pornography, even though those are personal, private choices of viewing material. We censure drug abuse, and have intervened against cults, even when drug abusers and cults seem to be mostly minding their own business. We censure fraternities and sororities for hazing, even though it's done by and with consenting adults in private.

 

All kinds of things, eh? And many where any direct harm to society is unclear.

 

Beavah