Subject:
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Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sun, 30 Apr 2000 22:49:01 GMT
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Viewed:
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252 times
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Hi all,
The feature story at cnn.com right now is that the "AIDS pandemic [has been]
declared [a] threat to U.S.
national security." I've wondered about the cultural significance of AIDS and
the related syndromes for about
a decade, but haven't come up with any particularly good explanations. So my
question is this:
Why is AIDS such a big deal?
There are plenty of seemingly more important health risks. Why does AIDS get
so much attention? Does the
media attention reflect the monetary attention? What gets more research
grants? AIDS or cancer? I (think I)
hear more about AIDS in the news, but I'm sure Cancer kills more people.
I realize that Cancer isn't an infection, so that could account for some of the
difference, but I'm not sure why.
What are the other important differences?
According to http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvs47_19.pdf, human immunodeficiency
virus infection killed
.007 of the people who died in 1997 in the US. Malignant neoplasms etc.
account for .233 of the deaths.
And heart diseases get .314.
So why don't we have a cancer quilt?
I've lost friends and family to both, and they're equally devastating. Unless
you include the linger time, then I
suppose the immunodeficiency infections tend to be personally more horrific.
On the other hand, I've had five
close relatives encounter malignant tissue. Two died quickly, one died over
six years, one has been losing the
battle for ten years, and one got better and is about to be declared cured
after five years with no recurrence.
So that can be a long battle too.
Is it that immunodeficiency infections embody a social concern? Is this
similar to the irrational fear that people
have about children blowing their heads off with found firearms? If the
ability of AIDS to attract attention is
based in social consideration, then why don't we attend to tobacco use with
such vigilance?
According to http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/who/usa.htm "almost 80% of smokers
begin to smoke regularly at
16 years and below." This seems like a social concern. Remember when I
pointed out that only seven tenths
of one percent of death are AIDS related? Well "it is estimated that in 1995,
around 529,000 deaths were
attributable to smoking (24% of total mortality)."
Any light or opinions? Is AIDS getting more than a fair share of the
attention? Is Clinton off his rocker to
declare it a threat to national security?
Chris
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) Oh, man, you are bringing up a topic that perhaps is more explosive than just about any other in modern american society. I love it. This is not going to make me any friends, but in my opinion the attention AIDS gets is a testimony to the (...) (24 years ago, 1-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes: --SNIP-- (...) One report I read (can't remember where) explained the NS threat with respect to AIDS trends on a global level: Africa, Asia specifically. With the massive rates of infection in (...) (24 years ago, 1-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) AIDS is a communicable disease, and is on a fairly steep climb as far as death toll goes. Some statistics(1): South Africa estimates 1 in 10 adult males have HIV. There are 7 African countries where AIDS is responsible for 20% or better of the (...) (24 years ago, 1-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) I think the reason it gets more attention is because it affects more people (just my impression) all over the world than cancer, especially in Africa. (...) These are just the US stats. I seriously doubt these stats hold true for other (...) (24 years ago, 1-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) Quote from Reuters news story: "In seven countries in sub-Saharan African, 20 percent or more of adults were infected with the virus that causes AIDS, and would die within the next few years, leaving some 40 million children orphaned, Thurman (...) (24 years ago, 1-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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