OK, let's be serious for a moment.Today is World AIDS Day. Bush is in Nova Scotia. Let's see if he even mentions it. Christ, Andrew Sullivan hasn't even mentioned it yet, but I suppose a paean to Big Pharm about how wonderful it is that he can afford his drug cocktail is forthcoming this afternoon. Things, as usual, are looking pretty damned grim this year. From a global standpoint, women now account for half of all AIDS cases. In sub-Saharan Africa, the statistics are even worse. But get this: In some places, Human Rights Watch said, police confiscate condoms from AIDS outreach workers and use them as evidence of illegal prostitution or sodomy....Worldwide, Human Rights Watch said, less than half the people at risk of sexual transmission of HIV had access to condoms, and even fewer had access to basic HIV/AIDS education.Awesome! And here we have the Bush administration demanding (and throwing shitpiles of money at) abstinence-until-marriage education. Brilliant. Fuck you, George Bush. And fuck you too, America. Brent Staples had a disturbing op-ed about AIDS in prison. Now, I know that Brent and I part ways on a number of points, but this essay drove home something that everyone should know, but that the gubmint isn't comfortable with: A recent study of male inmates in several prisons, for example, found that more than 40 percent had participated in sexual encounters with another man...But as of now, condoms are banned or unavailable in 48 of 50 state prison systems.How obscenely ludicrous is it that it's unacceptable to spend federal money on condoms for our prisons, yet it's somehow perfectly acceptable to spring for the medical care of the legions of men emerging from prisons with HIV and/or hepatitis. No, really, fuck you, America. OK. Anyhow. Finally, please go to Wooloo Productions and interact with the art. Every project you click on means more money donated to an HIV education center in South Africa. Posted by Dana at 10:07 AM
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Little Man with a Gun in His HandTwo interesting AIDS-related documentaries on Sundance last night: One about a South African activist who refused to take anti-retrovirals until they were made available to the poor, and one about Paul Monette (the writer who had two lovers die of AIDS before dying of it himself).
Posted by: Jamie at December 2, 2004 11:55 AMi'm obviously all for aids awareness.
do you really think prisoners would wear condoms? are prisoners having responsible sexual relationships in prison now, or is it still mostly just the rape thing?