Was Yassir Arafat Gay, and Did He Die of AIDS?

[Kalhoun]

@Walloon

The opporutnistic infection would be listed as the proximate cause, “secondary to” HIV infection or AIDS.

Do other countries have to include the same info we include on death certificates here in the US? I never even thought about it before, but they might not have to play by the same rules we do.

[Kalhoun]

@Diceman

This is huge. How likely is it, in this day & age, that his doctors had no idea what killed him? Most people will say, “Not freakin’ likely.” The possiblility that the doctors are covering up Arafat’s cause of death naturally begs the question of why. And given the decades-old rumors that he’s gay, AIDS is an obvious guess.

I think it happens more often that you’d think. Maybe one of the MDs around here can shed some light on that.

[Steve_MB]

@Siam Sam

The mental image I now have of Yassir Arafat having gay sex may just keep me up half the night now.

I find that the mental image of two hot babes going at it is more effective at keeping me “up”, but whatever floats your boat.

[susan]

Just a reminder that most people in the world who have HIV are straight.

[ElGaucho]

One of the original spreaders of the rumour about Arafat being gay is the former general Pacepa, who defected from Romania in the 70`s, while he was the head of the Foreign Intelligence.

Arafat was very close friends with N. Ceausescu, Romanias leader at that time, but when he visited the country, he was under constant surveillance by general Pacepas men.The ex-general told the Americans that he recorded on video Arafat having sex with a bodyguard.

There is no actual evidence for this, so it may be just a vicious, carefully manipulated rumour, to insult and discredit a major pain in the a** of the Americans.

And the fact that Pacepa was sentenced to death by Arafat doesnt help the Palestinians image.

[Nava]

@Kalhoun

Do other countries have to include the same info we include on death certificates here in the US? I never even thought about it before, but they might not have to play by the same rules we do.

No, plus the information may change a lot depending on circumstances.

My father was dying of lung cancer when an aortic aneurism (sp?) “did him a favor.” Cause of death? “Cardiorespiratory arrest,” basically meaning “well, he died dead, the family didn’t care for an autopsy and circumstances of death didn’t require one legally.” This is part of his medical records; a Spanish death certificate will indicate the date and time but not the causes.

[psychonaut]

@zeno

I think a lot of people in this country don’t like Arafat and would like to discredit him even in death.

What country would that be? There’s nothing listed in your Location field.

[Siam_Sam]

@Steve MB

I find that the mental image of two hot babes going at it is more effective at keeping me “up”, but whatever floats your boat.

I fear I may have phrased that poorly.

[ernesto]

@Walloon

The opporutnistic infection would be listed as the proximate cause, “secondary to” HIV infection or AIDS.

OK fair enough but supposing the guy has HIV and dies of a Heart Attack or gets hit by a bus, then I am guessing HIV would NOT be listed on the death certificate? Or would it?

As I said, it seemed quite a few well known people were dying of HIV and then it stopped. You would think if HIV was being listed on death certificates a few actors and such would die of other causes and it would become public knowledge like it was in the early 90s and before. As I said when is the last time you heard of a well know person dying of AIDS like in the time of the 80s to early 90s?

[Telemark]

@ernesto

As I said when is the last time you heard of a well know person dying of AIDS like in the time of the 80s to early 90s?

List of HIV-positive people

[Siam_Sam]

@ernesto

OK fair enough but supposing the guy has HIV and dies of a Heart Attack or gets hit by a bus, then I am guessing HIV would NOT be listed on the death certificate? Or would it?

As I said, it seemed quite a few well known people were dying of HIV and then it stopped. You would think if HIV was being listed on death certificates a few actors and such would die of other causes and it would become public knowledge like it was in the early 90s and before. As I said when is the last time you heard of a well know person dying of AIDS like in the time of the 80s to early 90s?

My understanding is that only the exact cause of death is listed. Pneumonia, or heart failure, or whatever. There are certain types of diseases associated with HIV, so people can often draw their own conclusions, but I don’t think HIV or AIDS itself is actually ever listed as an official cause of death. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

[Walloon]

As I said above, on most U.S. death certificates, if the proximate causes of death was related to an HIV infection (e.g., pneumonia), then AIDS will be listed as the secondary cause. I’m not an expert on French death certificates, but I have read that they typically list all medical conditions relevant to the death.