# AIDS More Widespread Among US Gays than Previously Thought **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 8, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946 "2002-07-08T19:08:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/81 "2002-07-16T01:39:13Z")
**Esprix** , glad you’ve stabilized to your usual potshots. You didn’t find the humour again? That’s a shock. **Reprise** , that’s a good point about the blood spills – I saw that quote, from the guardian IIRC. I don’t think it’s a bad thing – just mostly irrelevant to the overall issues – and further, I don’t think it opens the debate so much as distracts it. But hopefully I’m wrong on that. I still think it’s silly – wouldn’t a day in sex-ed sink in just as well? ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/82 "2002-07-16T01:49:13Z")
> [@](#): > > wouldn’t a day in sex-ed sink in just as well? I don’t think your average 3 or 4 year old is in need education about the sexual transmission of HIV - they ARE in need of information about how to protect themselves and others from accidental transmission of the virus through blood. In my experience, young kids tend to have a lot more direct contact with blood than they do with sexual encounters. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/83 "2002-07-16T05:23:13Z")
It’s even more important that, in a country ravaged by the disease, children are taught tolerance for those who are ill. I think that’s the point, which some seem to have missed. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/84 "2002-07-16T13:40:17Z")
I don’t think you can fight gross ignorance with more tolerance; I’d be careful which one we give more weight to – that’s _my_ point, and is my point with respect to the original post, to wit, gay men still seem ignorant of the risks of casual sex, and advocating more tolerance instead of more education, as some have on this board, quite loudly. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/85 "2002-07-16T14:30:57Z")
> [@](#): > > gay men still seem ignorant of the risks of casual sex, and advocating more tolerance instead of more education, as some have on this board, quite loudly. If you amend that to “ **some** gay men still seem ignorant of the risks of casual sex,” I’d quite agree. There is a small, but disturbing segment of the gay male population that thinks that safer sex protocols are optional; those guys drive mem, and everybody else who lived through the initial onslaught of AIDS, to distraction. > [@](#): > > and advocating more tolerance instead of more education, as some have on this board, quite loudly. What do you mean by this? Are you saying that some SDMB gay men are advocating having unsafe sex? Please name names because I haven’t seen this ever. Every gay man here is right alongside having safer sex. Or are you saying that one must never have casual sex? If so, I must disagree. While it is obvious that one is safer in a long-term, monogamous relationship, that’s just not an option for a lot of people. Moreover, people being the horndogs that they are, some folks, gay and straight, male and female, are going to get dow to some harcore aardvarkin’ on a casual basis. As long as they use rubbers and minimize their risk, 'tain’t nobody’s business but their own. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/86 "2002-07-16T14:52:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace0Spades \* > **gay men still seem ignorant of the risks of casual sex** I think I’ll start work on the barbed wire buttplug now, because everything **Ace0Spades** is saying seems to come out the ass. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946/87 "2002-07-16T15:22:24Z")
**Ace** your second cite quote doesn’t impress me. I already noted that rimming entails high risk for a cornucopia of STDs–it’s low-risk for HIV because there’s no fluid exchange (unless you’re bleeding out the ass). From the medical column at [gay.com](http://channels.gay.com/health/hiv/?sernum=1690#2) > [@](#): > > \*\*My partner likes rimming me. I won’t do it because I’m scared of the possible risks. How unsafe is it, especially getting rimmed? \*\* > > Rimming is relatively safe, although you can get parasites, hepatitis or infectious diarrhea from it if your partner is carrying these things. The risk of HIV is minimal. If he is rimming you, your risk is almost negligible. Other STDs including gonorrhea, herpes, condyloma, etc. can be transmitted during rimming From the UCLA LGBT health care [site](http://www.lgbt.ucla.edu/need_links_men_safesex.html): > [@](#): > > Moderate risk > > intimate kissing > oral-anal contact > rubbing penises together > oral sex on a man without ejaculation From the[Midwest AIDS Prevention Project](http://www.aidsprevention.org/safersexinfo.htm): > [@](#): > > Oral-Anal Contact. The risk of transmitting HIV to either partner through oral-anal contact (“rimming”) is uncertain but seems to be low in risk. However, rimming can transmit other organisms. Using a latex barrier can reduce risk I repeat, rimming is a lower risk activity for HIV–bear in mind that’s lower risk, not zero risk–and high risk for fecal-borne diseases. You are at much higher risk for contracting hepatitis from rimming than you are for catching HIV. **Ace** , I know more about HIV risks than you do. Instead of spreading your ignorance, boy, you need to shut up and learn. Although I should give you credit for some expertise on oral/anal contact, since you spend your time on the SDMB talking out your arse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-more-widespread-among-us-gays-than-previously-thought/117946.md?page=4)