AIDS Treatment=Prevention

How much time did it take people to figure out that treating something will prevent its spread? About 30 years for AIDS, according to our major news media.

DUH!  We have already figured out demographically that treating influenza prevents its spread. Our friends at the CDC have the flu nicely codified.  A nice list of things we can do to prevent it.  One of them is, of course, using those lovely new antiviral drugs.  Yes, you can treat it, and clearly, that is a good thing, for not only does the patient get better (sometimes they are actually grateful), but it does stop the disease from spreading.

Compare this AIDS/HIV portion of the CDC’s (large size) to the influenza one.  Now don’t tell me that the difference between the two approaches is that influenza does not kill people and AIDS does.  Influenza still kills those whose immune systems are weak — children and the elderly.  It does not kill as many folks as it did in the epidemic around World War One time.  We have ant-virals to treat it and the world is getting better.  But the prevention directions are precise and direct, and I think pretty much anyone can follow them. Still, AIDS and HIV seem to be problems for countries and committees.  They seem hard pressed to come up with anything as lucid as the document for treating and preventing the flu. The CDC document does give a strong message to encourage testing.  They do briefly flash a picture of our president and say that he has been tested.  They do not say what the results were, but I can only wonder if Michelle got tested too. I still know a few people who are afraid, who don’t want to know.  But there are lots of places where free testing can be obtained.   The life expectancy projected has never been better.  It is so good that people in the first article link above are actually concerned about helping the older AIDS patient deal with the losses that come after someone loses friends. Treatment prevents AIDS.

Knowing you have it permits treatment.

Everybody who has had sex with anything living should get tested.