The Deseret News reports: HIV diagnoses in Utah were up 32 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, with the majority of cases in Salt Lake City.
"This is what's considered the third wave of the epidemic. People have become complacent," said Beltran. "They're not seeing people die from AIDS because medications are more effective in staving it off, so the fear factor is no longer present. And people are sick of hearing about" HIV/AIDS prevention methods, such as condom use, she said.
Here's the Tribune's take:
The Utah AIDS Foundation attributes the jump to:A 32 percent spike in Utah's HIV rate this year compared with the same period last year has prompted the Utah AIDS Foundation to forgo federal HIV prevention funds so that it can create a more upfront campaign targeting gay men.
The department has rejected some sexually suggestive ads aimed at gay men, who comprise the majority of HIV cases in the state. Of the 25 new HIV cases in the first quarter of 2008, 83 percent were among gay men. Younger men ages 20-30 are at high risk and represented the majority of infections in 2007.
UAF rejected this year's grant of $87,000 and is asking donors to cover the cost of its new campaign that aims to normalize condom use, "Unleash the Power of the 'C.'" A focus group of gay men held Thursday applauded the approach, said Penfold.
- Improvements in anti-retroviral drugs that have extended the lives of the
infected but also lead youth to falsely believe the disease is
curable. - Young men who grew up after the 1980s AIDS
epidemic think of AIDS as a problem in Africa, not America. - The use of methamphetamine and alcohol that contribute to risky
behavior.
Your thoughts?
6 comments:
I think more people with HIV need to be open about it because only when you know someone with HIV does it really hit home how serious the disease still is.
So I think a lot of the problem is the way that President Bush's admin. is handling the problem. All they are about is abstinence as the only way to prevent the spread. This is not aceptible we need to make sure the new president understands that we need to promote the use of safe sex instead of abstinence. I salute the Utah Aid Foundation for taking this approach even at the cost of grant money. Lets make sure we support those who support us.
well there are guys out there that have hiv and they don't tell anyone so it get passed on that way and the meth use does go with iy also causer they get high and they don't care weather u use protection or not as long as they get laied
So why did they turn down the grant? I don't get it... Isn't prevention money PREVENTION MONEY? $87,000 is a lot of money to turn down. I don't understand the reason.
A number of states have turned down federal funding for sex ed programs that place restrictions on what students can be taught. Why take the money when it is only a portion of the total prevention funds needed and requires restrictions that you don't feel comfortable with? Not an easy choice but probably the right one.
There is a stigma in Utah about HIV. Understandably people shy away from poz guys. This leads poz guys to hide their status. Many do engage in sex without telling their partners. Or, to avoid the need for disclosure they become reclusive and "closeted".
Protection really is easy. Containment of the disease is not difficult. I see mental and emotional issues (non-disclosure, lack of communication and visibility) as contributing to the spread.
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