Finally........................

AIDS Gel on a Faster Track
Merck, Bristol to License Drugs Free for Use in Poor Countries
NEW YORK, Oct. 31 -- New research in monkeys suggests a combination of AIDS drugs applied as a vaginal gel might prevent infection with HIV, and two major drug companies said Monday they would license promising compounds at no charge so that such a product can be created.---- Washington Post, By Justin Gillis

I’ve been saying for years now that the attempt to find a cure for HIV/AIDS was a resource wasting venture. First of all every disease that has ever threatened a population was responded to by quarantine measures. The plague, cholera, tuberculosis - let your kid attend a school where viral meningitis breaks out, he or she will be taken out of school and won’t go back until they are completely over it – At the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic we didn’t follow normal quarantine measures, and we still do not to this day. It is my belief we paid a heavy price for not doing so. This deviation from historical practices when faced with such a devastating disease such as HIV/AIDS set the stage for the virus to move unchecked from the gay population where it was primarily found into the general population. Quarantine sounds cruel but when I can’t spend a day in my life without some public announcement about the deadly threat of HIV/AIDS in our society, I find it odd that quarantine is not an option. Second of all we have never cured a virus, we simply have developed drugs that suppress the virus or mitigate the deadly symptoms while the virus runs it’s course. The day we find a cure for HIV/AIDS will be the same day the common cold virus will be history.


Could a quarantine method that was sensitive and effective have been developed—hell, I seriously doubt it, the two political parties haven’t worked together for the good of the country since WWII, but it should have been explored at the least. What we should have concentrated on in the beginning was something like this gel, something that would have prevented the spread of the virus. Okay, I have strong feelings about a lot of the irresponsible sex practices that go on every day in America. It is my opinion HIV/AIDS is a lifestyle disease resulting from an irresponsible sexual lifestyle, but I do realize that there are circumstances where people believe they are safe but in reality aren’t- a cheating spouse is one. Also I recognize that in extreme areas of poverty like Sub Saharan Africa, the HIV/AIDS virus would spiral completely out of control if nothing is done. I also have strong feelings about the governments/leaders of those countries and their responsibilities, but we won’t go there today.


I don’t want to hear all the conspiracy theories and The Tuskegee experiment parallels, once the virus was in the general population and spreading at a geometric rate none of that shit means a dayum thing. This gel is good news. Imagine this. Where condoms use is shunned, a gel that would also provide lubrication would be readily acceptable- if not, the woman could use it without the knowledge of her sex partner. I sincerely hope successful progress is made with this gel and a usable, reliable product is available in the near future.

Later’