HIV evolving warp speed around the globe ...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/02/hiv-evolving-at.html

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nature07746.html

There is a solution that is 100% effective in stopping all new cases of HIV and AIDS but it will never be suggested nor implemented because our sex crazed world would rather people sicken and die than exhibit some self control.

The solution is to end the practice of having sex with multiple partners, with people outside of the marriage bond, and all homosexual sex.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I take great issue with "get everyone in the world to take ARVs." 

No thanks.  I'll put what i want in my body, and I don't trust Big Pharma and their pill pushing tendencies which have become commonplace in today's culture.

However, I would support making ARVs available to anyone who is HIV+ and wants treatment.

Elaine, I haven't seen such an ignorant statement in a very long time. You seem to believe that HIV is a "gay man's disease". And when it first hit the US, yes, it hit the gay community the hardest, but the fastest growing demographic (in the US) acquiring the disease is African-American women AND teenagers of ALL colors.

One of the big reasons that it hit the gay community the fastest and the hardest in the 80's is because our government, the government that I had no part in choosing (I was too young to vote), turned a blind eye to the fact that this disease was killing thousands of people annually. But because they were gay men, it was seen as okay because people like you believe that we are expendable.

Part of the problem is lack of sex education that teaches kids to protect themselves when having sex. Your abstinence-only education programs have been proven time and time again that they DON'T work.

Perhaps you should do a little research. This disease dates back to the 1950's, and crossed the primate/human species barrier through hunting. Perhaps we should make hunting illegal instead of sex.

You also seem to fail to realize that there are other forms of transmission beyond sex. In some regions of the world (and now very few here in the US) it is still transmitted through blood transfussions. It is also spread through IV drug users who share needles. There are even some accidental transmissions such as nurses who obtain it through a needle stick (again this is rare in the US, but still happens occasionally.)

I do not have HIV/AIDS, but I'm sick of people like you getting on your self-righteous high-horse telling other people how to live their lives. You mind your own business and others will do the same.

New Scientist did not propose a plan, Alanna.  They reported discussions among scientists and health officials which may eventually lead to a plan.  Their role in this matter is journalistic.
You've raised some valid concerns.  But given the medical technology available now and for the foreseeable future, the idea of expanded testing and expanded use of ARV drugs to reduce the infection rate seems to be the only avenue of attack available to us.  And even if you reasonably postulate continued infections from blood transfusions and shared needles, having a broad program of detection and virus interruption should get case trends going in the right direction.

Dear Alanna Shaikh,

My belief is any "action" to solve a problem, if even for temporarily, until a legitiment solution is implimented, "no action" is worse.

I'm sure many people have ideas to solve the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and/or STD's in general, yet face implications of bringing that idea to the forefront due to lack of resources, belief, assistance, etc. and too much external doubt. Anything and everything is possible, with with an open mind, and faith.

I am one of those individuals that proposed a 21st Century HIV/AIDS Intervention Cure (already in affect) for the 2009 Inauguration. I didn't win but I wouldn't mind opinions or feedback.

Just click on the hyper link, as my name below, to view yet another proposed solution.

Thanks in advance, and may God continue to bless us all. :0,

Please don't flame me for this, but I'm just curious... why is it unethical to make people with HIV take drugs that makes them not contagious? If I had HIV, I wouldn't want to risk giving the disease to other people. Is there something I don't know about the drugs that's really unpleasant, that makes this wrong? Because if there isn't, I think a person would have to be pretty selfish to NOT be willing to take the drugs for the sake of public health.

This discussion is getting to be like that story of an elephant and several blind persons...Each one describes what he touches and feels as the best description of the elephant!

Modern medicine like agriculture has no doubt made great strides. Hence taking drugs  per se is not unethical. I take Nebistar SA and 50mg of asprin every day for my so called "essential" hypertension.

But a fundamental flaw is there in most developments of science and technology emanating from the west. They think that they know everything and don't like dissenters.

Indian Ayurveda has prescribed many medicines from the time of B.C.which are being followed by today's allopathic medicines which use chemically pure extracts of phytochemicals.

We have several cures for conditions of hepatitis, HIV Aids and cancer in many different systems of Indian Ayurveda, Islamic-Unani, Siddha -developed by Sadhu saints mostly from medicinal plants and extracts of ashes and metallic residues which are all Eastern systems of medicines.

The system of Pranayama is even more advanced than Ayurveda.

There are even today many psychic healers in ndia and in the East. One of them personally cures patients by touch and blows with his hands and feet. He works at the astral body level. It is not Pranic or Reiki healing. It is heavy and laborious work but he says that he has treated 30-40,000 patients in the last twelve or more years. He is not interested in publicity. He has tried training others but this works only through him! The West has of course a technical classification index. They would call it "faith healing". This concept is of course borne out of Christian religious faith. There is no religion involved in this as practiced by this person nor in Pranayama, which can be followed by one and all.

To conclude, I quote a Tamil (ancient of cource!) proverb: "What we have learnt is worth a fistful of soil. What we dont know is the size of this Earth!