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5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 7:04:31 AM

onceburned

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Holy smokes! I know Washington DC has its share of problems, but 1 out of every 20 people have HIV?? How in the world could it get so high without it being noticed and addressed?

quote:

Mayor Anthony A. Williams promised his personal involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS yesterday, after saying he agreed with a report that found the city's response to the epidemic that infects one in 20 residents has been disorganized and ineffective.

"We spend a lot of money on AIDS and are not getting the mileage we should," Williams (D) said, leading a chorus of government officials reacting to a study by the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The study, released yesterday, found the city's efforts badly understaffed, poorly coordinated and lacking especially for youths and other at-risk groups.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001877.html

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 7:23:17 AM

MsStressed

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Its absolutely amazing. This country gets so caught up in other countries health crisis. Our gov't leaders obviously need to look in their own backyards. I truly hope they figure out solutions to the hiv crisis in DC.
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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 7:39:23 AM

sub4hire

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quote:

Holy smokes! I know Washington DC has its share of problems, but 1 out of every 20 people have HIV?? How in the world could it get so high without it being noticed and addressed?

I am not an expert on DC, but over the year's I have heard there is no other city in the United States you would less want to walk down at night. It is supposed to be bad.

I can definately see HIV running rampant there.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 8:35:33 AM

happypervert

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quote:

Holy smokes! I know Washington DC has its share of problems, but 1 out of every 20 people have HIV?? How in the world could it get so high without it being noticed and addressed?

Maybe that's what they get for electing a crackhead as mayor. Dunno about the current mayor, but they did reelect Marion Barry after he got out of jail.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 8:42:21 AM

Quivver

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DC has been in a bad state for ages. The Mass coming and going is the Nations 2nd or 3rd worse traffic as Virginia and Maryland residents flock to our Uncles houses to make a good living. Most don't see the city after the sun goes down. The remnants of the poverty do show up if traffic stalls creating a detour, but for the most part commuters and visitors are greeted on the main routes with manicured boulevards, many will stay on their chosen route sitting hours in traffic to avoid the uglier side of DC. That includes those leaders we send here. My work has allowed me to see a good bit of DC both in the daylight and after dark, what an education. IMHO more programs aren't gonna fix it, there is an apathetic mind set, no humility, no responsibility, nobody cares anymore for the other guy. I'm slightly surprised at the figures especially since they involve the DC youth that they have been trying to *save* for some times now. What has always scared me is those leaders who live here representing a state 1500 miles away, do they remember where they come from? Or do they become so immune to DC they brush off issues at home as insignificant in comparison? Just some food for thought.........

Q

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 9:55:52 AM

Evilsgirl

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kinda off the topic of HIV.but still steadily apart of it...i agree the US spends entirely too much time focusing on other countries and "their" problems/ issues. but it doesnt just stop with Africa and the rising HIV/Aids crisis....it also flows over into the economy other other areas. should OUR elected officials be spending more to develop countries..than they are will to spend on feeding our starving and homeless? i think not...im a firm believer in "charity starts at home". reduce OUR homeless rates.insure our children...and feed our needy before spending millions in forign countries trying to look like "the good guy".....Evilsgirl

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 2:21:20 PM

EmeraldSlave2

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quote:

ORIGINAL: sub4hire

I am not an expert on DC, but over the year's I have heard there is no other city in the United States you would less want to walk down at night. It is supposed to be bad.

I can definately see HIV running rampant there.

Because HIV only infects people who live in crime ridden areas?

As a DC native who also has spent a lot of time in other cities, including NYC, I'd have to say it's pretty much like any other city, with more suits.

Of course urban areas always have worse problems, with drugs, with crime, with diseases, with everything. But let's not take a single statistic and take it beyond its scope.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 2:28:14 PM

sub4hire

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quote:

Of course urban areas always have worse problems, with drugs, with crime, with diseases, with everything. But let's not take a single statistic and take it beyond its scope.

You belive DC does not have those problems? I was speaking all around crime issues.
Not HIV alone.
Generally HIV is spread by those not wearing condoms, which usually is predominantly is lower class areas.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 3:45:51 PM

Mercnbeth

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This link takes you to the raw data from the study (You need Adobe to open): http://www.ette.biz/aidsindc/epi_profile_2004.pdf

Note on page 30 that HIV Exposure is still highest between gay men, but the second largest group, and the highest female exposure comes from injection drug use. It goes to follow that heterosexual contact would also be on the rise, since intravenous drug using females can then transmit the disease through heterosexual contact. From the report; "...the percentage of cases diagnosed among men who have sex with men have been steadily falling, from 35% of total cases in 1998 to 28% of cases in 2002. The number and percentage of cases by heterosexual contact, however, have been steadily on the rise, similar to national trends." Aids deaths rank third, almost in a dead heat with homicide, as the leading cause of death. The report also notes that cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in DC are also twice the national average.

Economically the city is a disaster, with nearly 20% of the people living below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is double that of the surrounding areas.

Why? Mismanagement, throwing money and "programs" at a problem versus applying social or political accountability. Lack of accountability among the population would be my guess. As someone pointed out, when your elected leader comes out of jail and goes directly to the major's office, it would suggest abandonment of reasonable thought.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 4:05:16 PM

anthrosub

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I live on the DC/Maryland line and work 2 blocks from Union Station. I've seen the city after dark (and on weekends). I say this to answer one of the other posts but also because DC is not like most other large metropolitan cities. Generally, everyone that's a "suit" works in DC but lives 10 to 100 miles outside DC.

At night, the majority of stores close and only restaurants and nightclubs remain open. This seems pretty normal but on weekends, they remain closed because most of the working population do their shopping in suburban areas like Tyson's Corner, VA and Columbia, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Frederick, MD. On weekends, DC is like a ghost town in many places. Only the tourist areas or places like Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan seem to be alive.

As far as the HIV rate is concerned, I've been tested on three occasions at the Walt Whitman clinic (to keep my peace of mind). The infection rate has been 4% for the past 10 years at least so this is nothing new. Most of those infected are gay men and IV drug users. DC has a large gay community and at least 40% of the city is not a place you want to be around at night. The southeast and northeast quadrants are the worst. The southwest is all diplomats for the most part and the northwest is where all the well to do live. Interestingly, this has been the demographics for at least the past 100 years or so.

Howard University and Catholic University are located in the northeast and are virtually islands of civilization. If you go to school there, you basically don't want to leave the campus at night except in large numbers. The city is being slowly (slowly) renovated. I think the biggest reason there are so many problems is because the people that work there don't live there, so there's no impetus (or money) to improve the situation.

anthrosub

< Message edited by anthrosub -- 8/11/2005 4:07:14 PM >

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 4:32:32 PM

fastlane

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It's because so many D.C. residents are also AC, but the District of Columbia is easier to read on a map then Alternative Couples District of Columbia.

In other words

AC/DC individuals who don't practice safe sex, which leads to epidemics of homosexuals contracting the disease. Only 5%? I'm impressed!

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 4:58:54 PM

onceburned

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quote:

ORIGINAL: fastlane
AC/DC individuals who don't practice safe sex, which leads to epidemics of homosexuals contracting the disease.

I think it is important to note that heterosexual transmission was found to be an increasing cause of HIV infection. This seems consistent with other studies I have heard about in the U.S.

quote:

Among male adult/adolescent AIDS cases reported from 1998 to 2002, the predominant modes of HIV transmission were men who have sex with men, MSM, (32%), injection/intravenous drug use, IDU, (24%), and heterosexual contact (23%), as compared to the previous interval of cases reported from 1990 to 1995 when MSM transmission represented 63%, IDU represented 24%, and heterosexual contact represented 5%.

http://www.ette.biz/aidsindc/epi_profile_2004.pdf
(Thanks for the link, Merc!)

Edit:

And this is where the big change in heterosexual rates of transmission is occurring:

quote:

Representing the overwhelming majority (90%) of women reported with AIDS in the District, African-America/Black women have surpassed the number of reported cases among White men since 1994. Among African American/Black female AIDS cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2002 45% were through heterosexual contact and about 33% were through injection drug use (IDU).

< Message edited by onceburned -- 8/11/2005 5:14:40 PM >

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 5:59:26 PM

UtopianRanger

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quote:

ORIGINAL: MsStressed

Its absolutely amazing. This country gets so caught up in other countries health crisis. Our gov't leaders obviously need to look in their own backyards. I truly hope they figure out solutions to the hiv crisis in DC.
MsStressed

Amen! That's one thing I will never be able to fathom about both sides of the leadership in this country; They're too busy looking over the fence into the neighbors backyards while their own children are in the house crying.

- The Ranger

< Message edited by UtopianRanger -- 8/11/2005 6:00:50 PM >

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 7:24:38 PM

EmeraldSlave2

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quote:

ORIGINAL: UtopianRanger

Amen! That's one thing I will never be able to fathom about both sides of the leadership in this country; They're too busy looking over the fence into the neighbors backyards while their own children are in the house crying.

- The Ranger

Well there are responsibilities that come with being a world leader (shouldn't we be the example in terms of world relations?) and to act as if we could survive in a bubble at this day and age is just silly.

Exactly how and when a country balances its domestic responsibilities versus its wordly ones is up to debate, but I definitely support being involved with countries other than our own.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 8:20:10 PM

RiotGirl

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hey i used to live in DC, well heck my dads family was all born and raised. Crazy infected place i come from. Good thing i got to florida so i could surround myself with ignorant, white side of town black side of town where everyone keeps it in the family to prevent disease!

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/11/2005 9:02:52 PM

UtopianRanger

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quote:

Well there are responsibilities that come with being a world leader (shouldn't we be the example in terms of world relations?) and to act as if we could survive in a bubble at this day and age is just silly.

Sorry... but I guess I kinda see things like LT did when he played for the New York Giants. George Young used to tell him all the time that he needed to be a role model on and off the field - But he always said '' No I don't, I just wanna be LT baby''

And no, we probably can't survive in a bubble, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we spend way too much tax payer money abroad. I think if it were truly left up to the devices of the American people, we'd focus alot more on our own.

I guess just don't put the same emphasis on being a global citizen that others do - There's nothing wrong with the citizenry being a little self-centered as long as they're doing all the hard work.

- The Ranger

< Message edited by UtopianRanger -- 8/11/2005 9:12:08 PM >

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/12/2005 12:50:46 AM

BlkTallFullfig

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Mostly I find this news very sad.
I can't say I'm terribly surprised though given the willingness of the residents/visitors to "hook up" without strings I noticed when I was there.
As for the city being scary, I'd like to tell you Gloria and others, that I find RI and MA a lot scarier. M

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/12/2005 3:15:28 AM

onceburned

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BlkTallFullfig
Mostly I find this news very sad.

It is very sad. What is worse is that D.C. seems to be a bellwether for what is happening across the nation.

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RE: 5% of D.C. residents are HIV infected - 8/12/2005 6:39:45 AM

pinkpleasures

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Doesn't matter where Y/you think money is wasted (personally my bug-a-boo is the War on Drugs) there has never been a publc service announcement on tv that i have seen warning that heterosexual contact was giving rise to increased HIV infections, and i think it's predominately politics -- those who are invested in seeing this as a "gay curse".

As an aside, my Catholic Church opposes the use of condoms by anyone -- even prostitutes -- in Africa -- where the average life span is beginning to creep to thirty yrs of age due to AIDS. For my part i think this is tantamount to withholding a vacinne during a pandemic.

pinkpleasures

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