The scientists will argue that it is because of drug resistance. The truth is the antiretroviral drugs have had very little impact on this disease, favorable or unfavorable, except to mislead us into thinking that science would pull us out of this mess. Last I heard, no one has yet spotted the magic AIDS vaccine that would save our children. While we are waiting for Big Foot to show up 16,000 people around the globe are becoming newly HIV-infected each day. Physicians will face potential fines and jail time for reporting HIV by name to health officials.
Partner notification is currently in shambles.
Governor Gray Davis must acknowledge enough lives have been lost, and direct California health officials to follow CDC recommendations of reporting HIV by name and to do partner notification. More pamphlets won't do the trick. I urge all of you to push, demand, even beg for public health policy needed to contain the spread of HIV wherever you live. Real prevention is our only hope in saving lives. This is the first epidemic in the history of humankind where we are willing to sacrifice people at the altar of privacy.