HIV

[Tales]

I know this debate sounds disrespectful to those who have the disease... But this question is purely out of curiosity.



Basically, I was just wondering why didn't they quarantine HIV patients when the disease first came out and instead they let it bloom into the pandemic that we see today. Good thing now we have made advancements in finding the cure recently. However if they had put measures to control the disease in the first place, many lives would have been saved.



This is my question

 

[Princess]

Because they didn't know how it was being spread.

They knew that certain groups were more succeptable than others, but they weren't sure exactly what was causing it.

Also, they didn't know that all these people had the same disease. It was manifested by different symptoms, and progressed at different rates.

 

[Tales]

I see.... But it didn't take long to find out didn't it?



but all I can say is that the war against HIV/AIDS was a battle not just against the disease but also against human discrimination at the price of more getting infected?



However, the one question I wanna ask is Have we been too soft hearted in our battle against this disease??

 

[Princess]

It was a few years (I remember, I had to be tested because of getting a transfusion--so did my father, due to open heart surgery)

Imagine not knowing about a communicable disease for a couple/three years. It's spread and mutated so much that difficult to treat.





Too soft-hearted? I don't know.

 

[Tales]

Well soft hearted I meant if they have done something like say perhaps quarantine maybe the dollars wasted on HIV could be used to treat other things like say diarrhea or other more deadlier disease in Africa.



My grandmother used to tell me; the worst kind of disease is not that one that causes the most pain but the one that causes the least pain at first but make you suffer to the death.



But I was wondering, if they quarantine patients with SARS or swine flu, why don't they do the same with those with this kind of diseases. HIV and SARS and swine flu both have similarities is that both patients eventually die but the thing with HIV is that the disease tortures its victim for a long long time, makes ya wanna commit suicide.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

You can only get it by having sex or somehow their blood gets into your blood stream. You can kiss someone with HIV, share drinks, etc and you wont get it. Its not like they are spreding the disease by being out in public like everyone else.

 

[Skillet]

HIV was first spread in Africa, a third world continent. First cases were in apes in the early to mid-1900s. It wasn't discovered until 1987. People for a long time didn't know what it was, how you got it, so it's hard to quarantine. As time passed, people realized what it was, and how to quarantine.



Also, can't HIV stay at such a level for the first 6 months, that it's near impossible to know you have it unless you get tested.



Regardless, it would be impossible to quarantine all of the people, because it happened in Africa first. Money wasn't there to figure out what it was until it became much more than just a few people.





But here's my question to people.. So a couple people have Swine, and everyone wants to wear a mask, but millions of people have AIDS, but no one wants to wear a condom. How come?

 

[Tales]

But here's my question to people.. So a couple people have Swine, and everyone wants to wear a mask, but millions of people have AIDS, but no one wants to wear a condom. How come?

Precisely my point, becos no one wants to wear a condom. Why not quarantine them? I know it sounds like against human rights and cruel. But imagine how many more people will suffer if they are allowed to mingle with the crowd. Not be discriminating against them, but my natural instinct pokes me into the fact that they are living bioweapons as my friend would say...



Just like I said earlier, the worst kind of disease is not that one that causes the most pain but the one that causes the least pain at first but make you suffer until you die.



Btw, after my grandmother said those words, that was the last time I saw her mentally sound and healthy. She later got a severe case of dementia and lost all of her logic, free will.etc T_T Then I finally understood her words.

 

[Skillet]

So pretty much genocide? That seems extreme. I think just knowledge in third world countries will do much better.



Seriously, a condom given to third world countries will be MUCH cheaper. Or a couple hundred thousand.



In some countries, you are legally required to tell your spouse or any sexual partner if you have aids. You can be charged, or even serve jail time if you don't.

 

[Tales]

So pretty much genocide? That seems extreme. I think just knowledge in third world countries will do much better.



In some countries, you are legally required to tell your spouse or any sexual partner if you have aids. You can be charged, or even serve jail time if you don't.

No no not genocide, but put them in some place where they can still contribute to society but isolated from outside to protect the healthy population. This way sounds like prison but you have to understand that the more the virus continues to stay within the human population, the more chance it has to evolve. The reason why the doctors and scientist are so fed up with HIV is becos of its abiltiy to evolve.



And true yes the laws are there to protect the spouse but there is a rising number of cases where the spouse caught the disease within marriage. How now?

 

[Skillet]

So kind of like Australia's history? Hate to say it, but in today's day and age, it will never happen.



Cures are coming closer. Just give it time, and be aware of the risk many things pose.

 

[Tales]

So kind of like Australia's history? Hate to say it, but in today's day and age, it will never happen.

What happened in Australia? Share it with all of us...

 

[Skillet]

[quote name='Notamerican']So kind of like Australia's history? Hate to say it, but in today's day and age, it will never happen.

What happened in Australia? Share it with all of us...[/quote]



All convicts from other countries were sent to Australia

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government, many for petty crimes they were driven to commit because of the poverty they were forced to live in.[1] One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their overburdened correctional facilities. Over the 80 years more than 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia.[2] The number of convicts pales, however, compared to the immigrants who arrived in Australia in the 1851-1871 gold rush. In 1852 alone, 370,000 immigrants arrived in Australia and by 1871 the total population had trebled from 430,000 to 1.7 million people.[3] The last convicts to be transported to Australia arrived in Western Australia in 1868.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia

 

[Tales]

Ok I see the point. But how will that apply to a HIV colony?

 

[Skillet]

Society wouldn't allow it. Simple as that.

 

[Tales]

Society wouldn't allow it. Simple as that.

But even if it will ensure their survival? But most people would not have the heart to accept an infect individual... A great pity but what to do?

 

[Skillet]

Actually, not always the case. If I really loved a person, and they had aids, we'd adopt a child. It would be hard, especially seeing how they get weaker. But a disease doesn't change who a person is. Why should we treat them like animals because of something, sometimes beyond their control, like a blood transfusion.



Be aware. Simplest thing I can say. Cures are coming, just use protection, and ensure you know the risks of certain things.

 

[Tales]

Be aware. Simplest thing I can say. Cures are coming, just use protection, and ensure you know the risks of certain things.

Well just hope that the virus doesn't evolve further into something more dangerous just it has been doing for 5 decades.



But just to add something not everyone gets AIDS from blood transfusion, some get it from being well ya.... so how then?

 

[Skillet]

You are supposed to say if you have it. The problem isn't as much here. It's third world countries that don't know how to deal with it.



Third world countries just need to be told all we know about it. We, as higher up societies should provide condoms, and knowledge.



We can't just put everyone in an enclosed place that has it. That's up to 40% of some African countries. The cost alone would be insurmountable.

 

[Tales]

You are supposed to say if you have it. The problem isn't as much here. It's third world countries that don't know how to deal with it.



Third world countries just need to be told all we know about it. We, as higher up societies should provide condoms, and knowledge.



We can't just put everyone in an enclosed place that has it. That's up to 40% of some African countries. The cost alone would be insurmountable.

Just to let you know, in asia they prefer to keep it hush hush. That's so irresponsible!