# What happened to the AIDS scare? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568 "2013-05-17T00:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/21 "2013-05-18T21:43:45Z")
Are the drugs out of patent already? If not, is there a prospect for generics being much cheaper in the future? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/22 "2013-05-18T21:46:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Superstition and religious pressure are difficult to combat. In some parts of Africa, men are convinced that having sex with a virgin will get rid of HIV. In countries with a heavy christian presence, there is pressure not to have protected sex and to produce as many babies as possible. Uganda made significant progress with condom distribution, and the incidence of new cases of HIV dropped; then it fell apart for various reasons. I had workers in Mali die from AIDS; an awful sight to see them in the final stages. Also, in some African nations, being convicted of homosexuality can lead to the death penalty, if conservative lawmakers pass such legislation. That could be why AIDS is such harsher there. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/23 "2013-05-18T22:02:37Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Are the drugs out of patent already? If not, is there a prospect for generics being much cheaper in the future? AZT (Retrovir), the first effective anti-retroviral, has been for quite some time. It was actually patented in 1970 as a cancer drug, but didn’t work all that well for that purpose. It was shelved, and when AIDS came along and people were throwing anything and everything at it, hoping it would stick, AZT did. 🙂 It also turned out that the horrendous side effects many of the early users of this drug experienced were because they were taking a dose several times higher than what was really necessary. DDI (Videx) and DDC (Hivid) have actually been taken off the American market because their use fell off drastically to essentially nothing. I only saw DDC once, and that was when I was in college in the early 1990s; it was notorious for causing pancreatitis. I haven’t practiced in a place with a sizable AIDS population for quite some time, but I’m pretty sure that d4T, Norvir, and Crixivan are available generically too. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/24 "2013-05-18T22:05:15Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > In some parts of Africa, men are convinced that having sex with a virgin will get rid of HIV. In countries with a heavy christian presence, there is pressure not to have protected sex and to produce as many babies as possible. The whole “AIDS can be cured by having sex with a virgin” did not originate in Africa, or with AIDS. It was once believed by some people in the United States that syphilis could be cured the same way. :eek: In addition, in many areas women are not allowed to refuse their husbands sexually, for any reason, and demanding that he use a condom can get her beaten up, or worse. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/25 "2013-05-18T22:42:31Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Not only that, but at that time, the additional stigma came with the association with homosexuality. Remember that it was termed the “gay disease” in its early years… Very [true](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-related_immune_deficiency). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/26 "2013-05-18T22:47:30Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Also, in some African nations, being convicted of homosexuality can lead to the death penalty, if conservative lawmakers pass such legislation. That could be why AIDS is such harsher there. Sorry, but I can’t make sense of your post. Can you restate? ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/27 "2013-05-19T02:09:29Z")
Maybe what **medstar** \*\*\*\* means is people with AIDs in a country where homosexuality is criminalized fear seeking treatment because it means they’ll be outed as a homosexual and punished, rather than receive treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/28 "2013-05-19T03:16:43Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Yes, the cocktails can hold off the disease almost indefinitely. > > At around $1,000/month per patient. Can’t imagine that would have any effect on Big Pharm/Big Med searching for a cure very diligently. Yes, this is why smallpox, polio, and diphtheria are all still seen in this country as big killers only barely kept in check by palliative care at thousands of dollars per month per patient. Oh. Wait. [Here’s some actual information about where cures come from and, guess what, the Big Pharma you’re ranting about is actually out in the lead.](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/11/04/where_drugs_come_from_the_numbers.php'') Now stop spreading ignorance and start fighting it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/29 "2013-05-19T03:24:36Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It was once believed by some people in the United States that syphilis could be cured the same way. :eek: It appears to have become a widespread belief in Victorian England. In Michael Crichton’s novel The Great Train Robbery belief in its efficacy actually forms a small part of the plot. That part of the plot ( involving a 12-year old prostitute ) was understandable considerably sanitized for the film. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/30 "2013-05-19T03:27:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Does he have AIDS, or is he just carrying the HIV virus? Those are two different things. And some people do have a natural immunity. I’m not too sure of his long history, as I lost contact with him for many years. He’s told me that his level of virus is undetectably low, but only because of the massive cocktail of meds he takes daily. I do know, since even before AIDS was known, that he habitually engaged in numerous deplorably un-safe practices, including extensive illegal drug dabbling. Really strange for an otherwise highly intelligent college-educated guy. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/31 "2013-05-19T08:02:13Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Maybe what **medstar** \*\*\*\* means is people with AIDs in a country where homosexuality is criminalized fear seeking treatment because it means they’ll be outed as a homosexual and punished, rather than receive treatment. That was my reading. But as I understand it, being gay is irrelevant to AIDS in Africa, since it’s commonly spread by hetero sex there. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/32 "2013-05-19T16:20:58Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > That was my reading. But as I understand it, being gay is irrelevant to AIDS in Africa, since it’s commonly spread by hetero sex there. And everywhere else, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/33 "2013-05-19T17:06:01Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > It’s the same problem we’re seeing with the anti-vaccination movement. The generation that sees the first-hand effects of the disease takes it very seriously and works hard to wipe it out. Subsequent generations, having never seen the disease at its worst, blow it off - and then the disease comes back. > > HIV is still out there, not everyone can access or afford HAART therapy, and the therapy may not work indefinitely. I wouldn’t rule out a resurgence of the 1980s AIDS panic at some point in the future (although I hope I’m wrong about this!) With respect, you’re wrong. A big part of the panic was just not knowing what the hell was causing it. Until the virus was isolated all people knew was that people were dying horribly from some unknown cause. Nowadays, if the incidence spreads we will know what’s going on and correct. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/34 "2013-05-19T23:32:30Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Maybe what **medstar** \*\*\*\* means is people with AIDs in a country where homosexuality is criminalized fear seeking treatment because it means they’ll be outed as a homosexual and punished, rather than receive treatment. Yeah, that’s what I meant. Any homosexual in those particular countries would be in the closet and not be able to obtain drugs to contain the condition. Sorry for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/35 "2013-05-19T23:52:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Superstition and religious pressure are difficult to combat. In some parts of Africa, men are convinced that having sex with a virgin will get rid of HIV. “Take two virgins and call me in the morning”. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/36 "2013-05-20T00:00:07Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Yeah, that’s what I meant. Any homosexual in those particular countries would be in the closet and not be able to obtain drugs to contain the condition. Sorry for the confusion. In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV is primarily spread through heterosexual activity. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/37 "2013-05-20T02:47:04Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Yes, this is why smallpox, polio, and diphtheria are all still seen in this country as big killers only barely kept in check by palliative care at thousands of dollars per month per patient. > > Oh. Wait. > > [Here’s some actual information about where cures come from and, guess what, the Big Pharma you’re ranting about is actually out in the lead.](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/11/04/where_drugs_come_from_the_numbers.php'') Now stop spreading ignorance and start fighting it. Diphtheria can be treated with antibiotics if someone gets it, and smallpox and polio weren’t cured, but eradicated (well, almost so for polio). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/38 "2013-05-20T02:53:55Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Diphtheria can be treated with antibiotics if someone gets it, and smallpox and polio weren’t cured, but eradicated (well, almost so for polio). Woosh. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/39 "2013-05-20T04:08:47Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Also, with the new treatments, AIDS/HIV is no longer seen as an inevitably fatal condition, so for a lot of younger gay men the urgency to take precautions is no longer there. It’s actually pretty maddening to watch happen if you were around even for the early-90s post-crisis era. I can’t imagine what it’s like for someone who was actually adult and living as an open gay man in the thick of it. I was in my mid-30s and living in NYC “in the thick of it.” And I was very active in trying to get the general public and the medical establishment off their asses . . . and was an early member of ACT-UP. By the time I relocated in 1995, there were young radical gay guys who deliberately got themselves infected. It was considered some kind of edgy political thing. I hope that was just a passing insanity, and no longer the case . . . but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still going on. Yes, “maddening” sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568/40 "2013-05-20T04:53:45Z")
Panache, as a fairly well connected 27 year old gay male in a rather large city, I am happy to report that I haven’t heard of any first person experiences of people voluntarily hoping to contract HIV. I have heard of “bug parties” though but always wondered if they were just urban legends. But I don’t even have a 2nd or 3rd hand anecdote of anyone doing one of these parties, being invited to one, or even having heard of one… so at least there is that. I did know of a “Friend of a Friend” who got raped by someone who was HIV+ with the express purpose of passing on HIV, though :(. If my friend is to be believed (and I don’t have any special reason to doubt him), the friend did get HIV and refused to take anything for it and developed AIDS rather quickly and died from it years ago. He didn’t want to live his life fighting it, evidently 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-aids-scare/658568.md?page=3)