From: noraa@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (aaron.l.hoffmeyer)
Subject: Re: CONDOMS! and AIDS
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 03:25:40 GMT

In article <6810@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> tjw+@pitt.edu writes:
>In article <MUFFY.92Oct4090947@remarque.berkeley.edu>, muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu (Muffy Barkocy) writes:
>
>> In fact, my usual recommendation would be condoms, but
>> as we have seen on this group, many men object to using them.
>
>Men,
>
>Do yourselves a favor and use that condom.  
>No, don't risk it.  Use that condom.  Be responsible!

A friend gave me a copy of an article summarizing a recent International
conference on AIDS.  The outlook is NOT good....

After an initial period of hub-bub as scientist were first starting to
really figure out what the HIV virus was, things have quieted down
dramatically.  Apparently, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 virii are tenacious
adversaries.  Scientists have examined the virii in great detail - they
know much of the structure.  Yet, they are not close to fully
understanding how they work.  Amazingly, chimpanzees do not seem to be
affected by the virii.  Other primates might be susceptible, but no
conclusive tests have been conducted.  The only guinea pigs for
experiments may be the humans that have contracted either virii.

The outlook for the next 10 years is bleak.  It is estimated that
between 100 and 250 million people will fall prey in the next 10
years.  Women, because of their physiology, will be the greater
victims.  The homosexual community appears to be taking some of the
necessary precautions to stop the spread.

This friend and I talked about HIV this weekend.  Humans are the not the
greatest possible hosts for HIV.  For one, it kills us.  Still, because
of its DNA programming, and because it takes years to over-power our
lymphatic systems, we are excellent transmitters.  In effect, after
infection, it spreads throughout our bodies quite quickly - within a
month or so, but then it effectively seems dormant - but it is not - it
is just slowly over-powering our lymphatic system.  It takes several
years to do its dirty work.  But we are not "great hosts" for another
reason - we are the only organism that has the intellectual capability
to stop the spread of HIV at a macroscopic level.  But, there's a rub -
we have to take the steps necessary to stop it.

Yes, we must use condoms, dental dams, rubber gloves, whatever it
takes.  If you are going to have monogamous sex with a new partner, you
must take such precautions.  And if you ever want to get away from using
such devices, then you have to have one another checked twice - because
there is a period in which HIV tests tend to be negative but the person
is really infected.  And then you have to be absolutly certain that this
other person is monomgamous with you.  And that is something you can
rarely be.

2 to 5% of the world's population will contract an HIV virus in the next
10 years.  Do you want to be one of those people?

Use a condom!  If you don't like the way they feel, experiment around
with them - stick with latex, though.  When you find one you can
tolerate, let others know.  

Aaron L. Hoffmeyer
TR@CBNEA.ATT.COM 
Newsgroups: soc.men