Heterosexuals must share blame on AIDS
In Cal Thomas' Feb. 18 column on AIDS [not posted], he wrote: "While data and interpretations of it vary as to whether homosexuals are any more promiscuous than hetrosexuals, those who are at greatest risk for contracting and spreading this new virulent strain of HIV are promiscuous in the extreme." I guess it's easier to believe oversexed homos cause the spread of AIDS than to admit that this sinister epidemic is growing in America even among heterosexuals.
Cal is wrong about the homosexual community's lack of concern these past 20 years. I know people who educate and counsel people, both gay and straight, about preventing the spread of AIDS. Countless organizations across America do the same thing.
AIDS continues to fester partly because Cal wants to believe that no heterosexual man would bring such a vile thing to his home (unless of course he was put in prison and raped there.) Cal quotes C. Everett Koop to make it sound official, but Dr. Koop says nothing about which sexual group is to blame.
Yes, risky behavior can cause AIDS to spread, and how terribly irresponsible of Cal to let too many people off the hook by pointing his judgmental finger at just a few. Talk about risky behavior!
Mary Coyne Wessling
Greensboro
Comments (5)
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Actually, AIDS is more prevalent among gay men. Lesbians are the least likely to get the disease.
The reason AIDS is more prevalent among gay men has less to do with promiscuity and more to do with anal sex. Anal sex causes more bleeding than vaginal sex. This is how the disease is so easily transferred.
Straight folks are just as guilty when it comes to promiscuity early in their lives. But as they get older, more straight people settle down with one partner and stay with that partner for longer periods of times.
Gays do switch partners more often, possibly because they don't have the tie that binds. That tie is marriage which is said "What God puts together, let no man separate"
Gays don't have that so they tend to have more partners.
You can be offended if you like, but the facts are the facts.
Posted on March 1, 2005 11:55 AM
Marriage is no "tie". With todays divorce rate, marriage is no longer looked upon as a lifetime thing. Anyway, your assumptions are all wrong. Most married people I know cheat on their spouses anyway. Marriage in no way causes people to stay monogomous. Love and respect does though.
Gays should be able to marry if they so chose. Go ahead and let's give them that "tie".
Posted on March 1, 2005 12:44 PM
Good response, Brian, but you want to approach that in the wrong way. Let's not "give" anybody anything. Let's just repeal all laws concerning marriage. People have a right to get married. They don't need a license to do what they have a right to do.
Posted on March 2, 2005 12:28 AM
Okay, forget what I said about marriage. It is only part of the reason. Just because some marriages end in divorce and because some people cheat, marriage still cuts down on sexual partners. And most of the time, people who are married are heterosexual and don't engage in frequent anal sex. Or do you not agree that anal sex is much more effective at spreading AIDS than other types of sex? Please stop thinking like a liberal, republican, or whatever and think about science and common sense.
The point is that if you want to lower your chances to get AIDS, then get tested, make sure your lover is tested, and stick to one partner. Whatever your lifestyle happens to be.
Posted on March 2, 2005 10:24 AM
The fact is that 85% of AIDs cases are homosexual men and intraveneous drug users. The A stands for Aquired.
Posted on March 2, 2005 6:20 PM