Why is there so many affected people in the world?

[curious_anxious]

You guys say that the HIV is very difficult to transmit. And there is no risk at all if you use a condom. Even without a condom the risk is 1 in 2000. Hand to vagina masturbation is no risk. ...Sound like there should be very few people in the world that has HIV. But as a matter of fact, there are 40 million people affected with HIV world wide. How do you explain that?  

[meworried]

Do not try to be personal. I respect everyone here including you, and never proclaimed myself as a "saint" or "holier than thou". It was all your self interpretation. I would request you to please visit my profile where you will learn about my "infidelities" .

When we talk about cultures, religions and races, such bitter taste in arguments is sometime unavoidable because we not only live miles apart but also our mindsets are also at 180 degrees, and I very well realized that at a number of occasions, while traveling into your part.

However, I request you all, to end this endless, fruitless discussion and I apologize with everyone whom I hurt. This is my last post here, Take care, Good bye for good, and wishing you all, a very happy, healthy and comfortable  life.  

[Brian123]

If that is true (based on your last 2 paragraphs), you would not be here due to your infidelities.
Stop acting as though you are holier than thou, because if you were, you would not have posted on here about yoru own risk factors. You act like so many Christian right activists who "judge, but do not want to be judged".
Perhaps one should take a hard look in the mirror?

[meworried]

ES

Thanks a lot ES for a comprehensive and elaborate reply. I can not disagree with you about statistics of  routes of transmission, other than sexual. In my country also, it's highly frightening segment of 26% among the total infected population, who use drugs through injections and one syringe rotates around a group of 10-20 people,,, OMG.

Brian/Teak

Thanks to the war, we fought for Americans in Afghanistan in 80's to disintegrate Soviet Union, and millions of Afghans stormed into my peaceful land as refugees (with thousands of KGB agents who knows) with two gifts, we have never seen before, automatic weaponry and  drugs. We are simply harvesting what we sowed. Our memories are not that weak, Osama Bin Laden was a hero and "Mujahid" (holy warrior) for Americans at that time because he was following American Agenda, funded and supported by your govenrment. US made Stinger Missiles, tons of gun powder and loads of dollars flowing in, turned those "mosque confined" mollahs" into horrible monsters, later transformed into "Taliban".

To me, religion is something purely personal and I do not have any right to point my finger towards cultural or religious practices you follow in the west (which I may not like), likewise I would not want someone poking his nose into the matters we follow.

If you are socially, mentally and emotionally  (forget about religion) happy with homosexuality and adultery ( how many of you would honestly tolerate and not divorce their wives after knowing she has been sleeping with someone while you are away). Unfortunately, we are intolerant in this regard and therefore our culture and society does not accept all these. And I am part of that culture, where relationship between husband and wife is totally based on faith and trust, and once it is gone, hardly any justification remains there to live under one roof.

[ExtremeStress]

if you look at my post. I was referring to asian countries, trying to develop within the past 15 years (kazakstan, kyrgyzstan, uzbekistan) to also include new Russia. The leading cause of infection in these countries are from drug use. Drug use accounted for nearly 90% of all cases upto 2004, by 2006 it has went down to 83%. The main reason for the post was to clarify on the thread question. People for the most part when they think HIV the think SEX. How many people come on this site worried about shooting up, 1 out of 1,000 (is my guess). I have only read one since i've been on this site. Pakistan is a lot different than Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan. These countires still do person to person transfusions wthout checking status and yes reuse syringes. You check recently in Kazakstan news (which is the wealthier of the former Soviet Union) just happend a couple months ago. They infected 200 + people with faulty blood and reused equipment. These countries are very poor. The annual budget for Kyrgyzstan is 300 million. I have seen all this there as well. These countries are jacked up. I was given insight to those that just think SEX, which is definitely not the case. It shows why there are so many infections.

[Brian123]

There are too many variables to why HIV is spread....so the answer to your question is based on just a tip of the iceberg related to :
-SES
-living environments
-educational institutions
-religious policies/practices
-HIV treatment and availability
-gov't induced violence due to sexual orientation or religious policies
-drug use
-prostitution (as it is spreading in Asia in rampant proportions)

....Just to name a few.

[Brian123]

Right?  If you were gay and in Iran....yeah,...I would be frightened.  But then again,...my @ss would be leaving the country ASAP!

[Teak]

Only from the "Religious groups" which do not control our government. You don't go to jail here for being gay or being in an adulterous. You don’t get punished if you are of age and having sex and not being wed as is done in some other countries.  

[meworried]

Lack of knowledge, pertaining to anything, including safe practices. Literacy rate in a country is a direct indicator of average level of knowledge among the masses. And I  regretfully admit this fact that we have a very poor literacy rate of less than 40%. This still has nothing to do with social acceptability for homosexuals or those involved in Adultery, because voices against these two, are often heard from " developed" societies like yours.

[Teak]

Which is the lack of knowledge. I believe the title of this thread is, "Why is there so many affected people in the world?" Cultural, regional and religion does fall within this topic.

[meworried]

The discussion was not on "post infection" scenario. There are cultural influences, sometime putting the "victim" in isolation. I agree, there is a social and cultural stigma attached to the disease, due an amalgam of its "predominant" cause and lack of knowledge.

Adultery and homosexuality is not accepted even in "developed" societies, though practiced everywhere. In your country, why only one states allows gay marriages, why not other 49 states follow what Massachusetts  has allowed ?

Adultery (perhaps extra marital sex, as I translated, correct me if I am wrong), ruins families and I can recall movies from your Hollywood, picked up this as a subject, "Fetal Attraction" for instance.

This forum is not a right place for cultural, regional or religious debate Sir. You are the most knowledgeable here and we learned a lot from your threads, better to limit and focus our discussion towards the core issue.

[Teak]

The major cause is "lack of knowledge." What happens in your country when one gets HIV? What happens in your country with adultery? What happens in your country if one is found to be gay?

[meworried]

Sexual route predominantly the major cause of transmission in the developed countries also. Referring to a documentary telecast on National Geographic on the Worlds Aids  Day, it was shown that HIV spread among IDU's through injection reuse accounts only 2%in India.

In common practice, this perception is not correct that Injections are reused due to cost reason. It was only in my childhood, decades before the onset of the disease when I used to observe syringe and injection placed in boiling water all the time for using again and again.

Now situation is changed and I invite you to come and visit even barber shops in my so called developing country, you will find sterilizers. An uneducated barber knows the horrible "killer" AIDS and never reuse its razor, Disposable syringes are  the only option in clinics whereby sharp needles are destroyed after every use.

Blood banks screen all samples of donated blood to make sure it is free from HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

Irresponsible sexual behaviors are the prime cause of spread of disease the world over, with a small share of IDU's. Babies born with HIV are also relate to irresponsible attitude of their infected parents.      

[ExtremeStress]

when people think about HIV they always think it is from sex. this is definitley not the case. drug use is a major transmitter especially in asian countries. ever since the break up of Russia, Aids cases have risen extremely. Kyrgyzstan (former russia) was considered the last aids free nation until the mid 90's. Due to their geographical closeness to afghanistan ( major opium and heroin producer) there HIV/AIDS numbers have risen. Secondly alot of places don't have the medical facilities the U.S./Canada/Australia and others do. They use the same needles over and over (because of cost) and they even do straight blood transfusions from one to the next (without knowing that persons status). This all plays a factor into the spread of the disease. Now you factor in the medical facilities, drug users, rape of virgins to get rid of HIV (africa). Guess what all this turns out to become. millions of babies born with HIV. When people see that 40 million statistic, they mostly think adults. That is very wrong. Not knowing what is being said above and all other factors will add to the continue spread of HIV.

[meworried]

Very pertinent and comprehensive answers from Chris and Brian.  Just ONE contact is enough to get the infection, provided necessary conditions of transmission exist. The so called "probability ratios"  (like 1 out of 2000 etc etc.) are for reference only. It certainly does not mean that you need to have 2000 acts of sexual intercourses to get the virus in final 2000th episode and remain clean until the end of 1999th.

Bottom line is, be smart, better to remain committed, abstain from sexual contact with high risk group like CSW's and if absolutely unavoidable, use protection, Period

[curious_anxious]

thanks for your answers, have a nice weekend.

[Brian123]

Dude,
I cannot and will not get into that debate...not now,...not tonight.
The truth of the reality is that ANYONE can get HIV.
Gay, straight, drug-user, Soccer mom, Lawyer, Teacher, etc.....  GET IT?

Anyways...the fact remains.....an unprotected sex encounter is just that....unprotected.
If you are not in a monogomous relationship, and you do not know the HIV status of your partner, and you have unprotected sex, one should get tested.

Is that clear?

[curious_anxious]

thanks for your answer. So, you are saying in U.S. there is much less population of HIV infected. But how are they affected? are they all get it from unprotected Sex?

[curious_anxious]

can anyone please answer this question? I have had 3 sexual encounters with sex worker, all with condoms. The girls all looked clean and young. In one of the sexes, the condoms slipped off but still inside her vagina. I found out immediately(I think) and I changed a new condom and finished the vagina sex. I am a little worried but I started feeling better when come across this website. Everyone here believes condom sex is safe sex even your partner is HIV positive. But what do not understand is, why there is so many affected people out there? Please give me some insight.

[Brian123]

WOW!
Someone has been living under a rock for a while. (JOKE)
Anyways....maybe in a nut shell I can answer this.

For the MOST part, and someone can correct me if I am wrong,  the continent of Africa, has the largest and highest of HIV infection.  Mostly due to hetero infections rate.  Why?  Well, in all reality, many of those who have HIV, have mutiple partners, have another STI (which enhances the transmission of HIV), and (3) the belief that HIV can be "rid of" by having sex with a virgin in their society has yet to be overcome. The denial is not just a river in Egypt,.....but since DeNial does exist in Africa, most people (lack of HIV knowledge) think that ridding themselves of HIV is common through having sex with a virgin ...believe it or not.   No less, the lack of testing, and other variables are other reasons to the mass expansion of this pandemic.

Did that answer the question?