Exodus: Live Out Loud

Children's Hospital Launches Sex Change Program

From WorldNetDaily:

A doctor at the renowned Children's Hospital Boston has launched a new program to drug children to delay puberty so they can decide whether they want a male or a female body, according to a report today in the Boston Globe.

Pediatric endocrinologist Norman Spack, 64, says he started the Gender Management Service Clinic because he found himself encountering 20-somethings who were "transgendered" and in good shape socially, "but they were having trouble getting their physique to conform to their identity.

"I knew the 20-somethings could have better chances of passing if they were treated earlier," he said.

Read the whole article >>

APA: Don't Ban Ex-Gay Support

From LifeSite:

Debbie Thurman was shocked when she was told by homosexual activists that, as she defined herself as a former sufferer of same-sex attraction disorder, she could not possibly exist. In a very personal self-disclosure, Thurman has written urging the American Psychiatric Association (APA) not to carry out its threat to ban therapy intended to correct the underlying psychological causes of homosexuality.

Thurman writes that "gay activists" tried to deny her own experience of having overcome same-sex attraction, so entrenched is the doctrine of "sexual orientation" as an indelible characteristic.

Read the article >>

Family News In Focus on "Own It End It" AIDS Awareness Campaign

You can listen to it online (the show dated 10.04.06)  and also read about it as well.  I will include the text here (I, Randy, am quoted in this report.)

 

Gay Rights Group: “AIDS is a Gay Disease. Own it. End it.”  
  by  Steve Jordahl

 

A leading gay activist group’s new campaign has conservative groups applauding and the gay community in an uproar.

AIDS has a way of slapping you in the face.

“Right now my emotions are all over the place, thinking that one day it could be me and it really puts HIV/AIDS right back into your face.”

Mikey posted this message on a popular web gathering place after a friend died of the disease. It’s also the reaction the LA Gay and Lesbian Center is hoping for but not everyone is happy with the campaign, including Tristan Hanscom with the gay rights group Erase the Hate.

“For them to come straight out and do that, it’s not understandable.”

Words like disaster, humiliated, and saddened are being used by gays to describe the campaign, but the Center is defending the ads, saying, “If we have learned anything in the past 25 years, it is that we must speak the truth no matter how uncomfortable some may find it.” That’s good news to Randy Thomas of Exodus International, who lost several friends when he was gay.

“So to watch the gay identified community of today take personal responsibility for this issue was astounding to me, and something that affected me personally.”

Thomas want’s to take the message one step further.

“And it’s important for the Christian community to wake up as well, that we own the responsibility to minister to those dealing with HIV.”

While it may be a gay disease, it’s a human problem.

 

Support   this effort to promote the family in the public policy arena.

You can receive family news stories by e-mail.  Sign up now for this complimentary service.

 

Is There a Gay Gene?

The Chicago Sun-Times reports on the search for a genetic cause of homosexuality. The short article begins with a surprising admission that scientists do recognize same-sex attractions' developmental nature:

The thinking now is that sexual orientation is determined by roughly 40 percent genetic factors and 60 percent environmental factors.

They also mention studies on twins that point to environmental causation, as when one identical twin experiences same-sex attraction, the brother (who shares the same genes) is also gay only about half the time.

Another surprising idea in the article is that some gays actually fear the discovery of a "gay gene," because such a discovery may lead to the development of medical treatments or even a "cure" for homosexuality. Why should they be opposed to a so-called "cure"? Most LGBT activists believe it is healthy and right for a person--even a child--to undergo hormone treatment and even surgery to change their biological gender. Why then is changing one's orientation, if possible, so frightening?

Personally, I think this ambivalence points to the truth of what homosexuality really is--a defense mechanism. As long as its cause is an enigma, and arguments are not too concrete, it's easy to accept as unchangeable because it's so consuming and unknowable. But if a specific "switch" were ever found, be it psychological or biological, then it would only be a matter of turning the switch off, and to the same-sex attracted person that is very scary.

The homosexual identity is about more than attractions; I know for me it was a place of protection from hurt and disappointment. I thought I'd learned that the "traditional" family didn't work, and trying to interact with other males as one of them only led to humiliation. So I found a way (however unconsciously) to insulate myself from any vulnerability to it. Aside from the addictive pleasure, homosexuality is a powerful ally that's hard to learn to live without.

So, on second thought, it's not so surprising to see that many gays want to let their homosexuality continue to be a mystery that can't be solved.

Homosexual men boost increase in syphilis rate

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060317-123346-6729r.htm

"The syphilis rate among U.S. men soared 81 percent between 2000 and 2004, primarily as a result of increases in reported cases among homosexual males, federal health officials reported yesterday.
    While the rate among men nearly doubled during that time -- from 2.6 per 100,000 to 4.7 -- the syphilis rate among women fell from 1.7 to 0.8 per 100,000 from 2000 to 2003. It remained stable in 2004, marking the end of a 13-year decline.
    "The vast majority of the increase is attributable to a resurgence of syphilis among men who have sex with men ... syphilis rates continue to increase among [this group]," said Dr. J.F. Beltrami and other authors of a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention.
    They also pointed out that sexually active bisexual men "likely contribute to syphilis among women."-Joyce Howard Price, The Washington Times, 17, Mar 2006

Syphilis Cases Increase In Homosexual Men

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_065155251.html

"Syphilis cases among men who had sex with other men surged from 34 cases in 2004 to 99 cases in 2005, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Monday.

"Clearly, in order to reduce syphilis rates in Minnesota, it is critical that we actively get the sexual partners of infected clients in for testing and treatment," said Kip Beardsley, director of the sexually transmitted diseases and HIV section at the department. "- WCCO.com 06 Mar 2006

New Disease Strains Heighten Risks of Unhealthy Homosexual Lifestyle

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/212006f.asp

"Culture and Family Institute (CFI) director Bob Knight says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discovered some new reasons why homosexual men need to stop their destructive and potentially deadly lifestyle.

The CDC recently reported that a rare strain of chlamydia called LGV (lymphogranuloma venereum) in the U.S. have been HIV-infected men who have sex with other men. was found in several dozen U.S. patients. Public health officials say this strain of the sexually transmitted disease is extremely hard to diagnose and poses a serious health threat, as it compromises a person's immune system and makes the infected person even more susceptible to other kinds of infections. "-Mary Rettig, Agape Press, Feb. 21, 2006

Mental health guilds accused of pro-homosexual bias

http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/sexuality/stories/021506.html

"America’s mental health professional associations have deliberately abandoned scientific objectivity to aid and abet the political goals of their homosexual activist members, according to noted psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover.

In a new study published by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), Satinover accused the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers of choosing to overlook credible research linking homosexuality with psychopathology, LifeSiteNews.com reported last week."- Today's Family News. Feb. 15, 2006

Worries Abound Over HIV Drug

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039061.cfm

"A disturbing trend is drifting through the gay community, as a growing number of homosexual men are taking the drug Tenofovir on the theory that it will protect them from contracting HIV/AIDS when they engage in risky behavior.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Tenofovir is being sold along with Viagra and Ecstasy in gay dance clubs and is even being prescribed by some physicians.

The problem is there's no proof the drug works, even though Tenofovir is sometimes given to health care workers who are accidentally exposed to HIV/AIDS."- CitizenLink, January 3, 2006

Sex-Ed Battle Hits New Turf

Homosexuality Topic Splits Montgomery.

The e-mail that landed in mailboxes throughout Montgomery County was provocative:

"DID YOU KNOW . . . . '' it read in big, bold type. "Three organizations supporting homosexuality as natural and mainstream were appointed to the NEW Citizens Advisory Committee?" and "Homosexual advocacy groups are targeting Montgomery County children and families?" - Lori Aratani, the Washington Post

Former Condom Advocate Embraces Absitnence and Fidelity

In Lake Forest, CA  Edward Green says promoting the values of fidelity and abstinence is far more effective than just promoting correct condom use. - Shannon Baker, BP News

Government Warns of Link Between Drugs and HIV

Public Service Announcement Featuring Kids  Armed with new statistics showing a link between teens getting high and getting infected with HIV, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has announced a TV campaign designed to alert kids to the danger. - Citizenlink

HIV Escalating: 20% Increase in Canada; Doubles to 40 Million World-Wide

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112505.html

"There are now almost 58,000 people with HIV in Canada, up 20% from 2000, according to recently released figures from the United Nations and World Health Organization.

Homosexual sex accounted for the majority of new cases, at 45%, while 25% of new cases were in women, the report said. Ten years ago only 10% of new cases were in women. Heterosexual sex accounted for 30% of new cases, with intravenous drug use responsible for the remainder. Young women aged 15 to 29 were particularly affected, accounting for 42% of the new HIV cases in women, up from 13 percent 20 years ago.

A growing phenomena is the spread of HIV to women by so-called bi-sexual men who pass on infections acquired by homosexual sex to women sexual partners. In the United States this is said to be an especially serious problem among black Americans. "- Terry Vanderheyden and Steve Jalsevac, Nov. 25, 2005

AIDS Activist Quits Toronto Committee Citing Dangerous Programme

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112404.html

"The illogic of introducing gay men to the bathhouse subculture as a means of stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS has led to the resignation of a Toronto AIDS activist. The Globe and Mail reports today that Richard Churchill, a real estate developer and long time volunteer for AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), has said that the organization has lost sight of its mandate to help people avoid contracting the disease.

“HIV is a preventable disease and, here, we're doing things that are not preventing it, but complicating it,” the 44-year-old real estate developer said.

The Committee is implementing a programme that involves organizing tours of Toronto bath houses, issuing decks of 26 “Sex From A-Z”cards promoting various sexual activities and the use of condoms, touted as the beginning and end of AIDS prevention by most activists."- Hilary White, Lifesitenews. Nov 24, 2005

Homosexual Activity Triggering HIV Escalation

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05111812.html

"While the rates for new cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, have been on the decline among heterosexuals and intravenous drug users, US health officials are expressing alarm at an eight percent increase in HIV rates in homosexual and bisexual men in one year.

Measuring the increase in prevalence of the virus from 2003 to 2004, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the 8% rise in cases among men who commit sodomy with men, “was statistically significant” for the 33 states that reported on HIV cases, according to the CDC’s publication, Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. "- Terry Vanderheyden, LifeSiteNews.com, Nov. 18, 2005

Risky activity between homosexual men drives STD increase

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1113stds13.htm

"Males undertaking risky homosexual activity are fueling a sharp increase in the incidence of syphilis and a smaller but concerning rise in gonorrhea resistant to commonly used antibiotics, federal researchers said Tuesday.

Those increases come at a time when venereal disease rates among historically important risk groups, especially women and minorities, have been declining, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The diseases "are a significant and ongoing threat to millions of Americans," said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, acting director of CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. They cost the health care system $13 billion per year, he said.

"- Los Angeles Times, Nov. 13, 2005

Health-care system must consult gays and lesbians, says Ont. health minister

http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=d3423d13-8bf5-488c-bf47-b43cb2d5a8b9

"The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community must be consulted to develop a health-care system that is better able to treat them, says Ontario's health minister.

George Smitherman, who was in Halifax on Thursday to address the Rainbow Health Coalition's health and wellness conference, said medical workers are often unprepared for the needs of patients with different sexual orientations. "- James Keller, Canadian Press, Nov. 7, 2005

Pro-Family Leaders Challenge Walgreens on 'Gay Games' Sponsorship

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/212005b.asp

"A leading national pharmacy and good retailer is saying its participation as a sponsor in the upcoming "Gay Games" in Chicago next year is primarily for engaging in AIDS awareness education and distributing treatment drugs. But the logic of that statement is being refuted by a pro-family organization based in Illinois.

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) continues to spearhead petition campaigns, encouraging the state's citizens to voice their displeasure with major corporations that are sponsoring the 2006 Gay Games. IFI executive director Peter LaBarbera says if Walgreens -- with its corporate office in Illinois -- is trying to fight HIV, it is counterproductive for them to contribute $100,000 and take part in an event celebrating the unhealthy lifestyle that produces HIV."- Ed Thomas, Agape Press, Oct. 21, 2005

Government Considers Vaccinating Students Against HPV

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038221.cfm

"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are considering the recommendation of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for every 12 year old, a proposal that some are applauding for its medical benefit, but that others are criticizing on ethical grounds.

If the CDC accepts the recommendation, it could lead to states requiring boys and girls to be vaccinated for the sexually transmitted disease before they enter middle school."- CitizenLink, Oct. 12, 2005

Homosexual men 'ignore HIV advice'

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2011032005

"The number of gay men in Scotland having unprotected sex has almost doubled in the past six years, according to a new study.

Homosexual males were increasingly failing to heed the safe sex message of HIV campaigns, found research from Glasgow University's Medical Research Council."- The Press Association, Sept. 29, 2005

U.S. survey examines sexual behavior

http://www.miami.com/mld/mercurynews/living/health/12660887.htm?source=rss&channel=mercurynews_health

"The National Center for Health Statistics on Thursday released the government's most comprehensive survey of U.S. sexual practices and reproductive health, delving for the first time into such sensitive areas as the prevalence of oral sex among teenagers and same-sex activity among adults...The data comes from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a survey of 12,571 men and women ages 15 to 44. The survey contractor was the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, which trained more than 200 female interviewers to collect the data by having the subject answer sensitive questions on a laptop computer, without revealing the answers to the interviewer"- Mercury News.com, Sept. 16, 2005

APA Ignored Evidence that Homosexual Behaviour is Part of Psychiatric Disorder Says Noted Psychiatirst

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05072502.html

"In the interests of maintaining and promoting mental health, the APA supports the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage with all rights, benefits and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits and responsibilities." -from a Resolution passed by the 250 delegates at the recent APA convention in Atlanta. Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons a psychiatrist, member of the Catholic Medical Association, and the primary author of the Catholic Medical Association's document 'Homosexuality and Hope,' believes that the APA has ignored evidence that homosexual behaviour is a manifestation of a psychiatric disorder. Dr. Fitzgibbons further feels that the APA has also chosen to ignore the potential impact on children in those "marriages." He stated that it is being increasingly proven that children have a critical psychological need for a stable family life with a mother and a father, which the homosexual lifestyle cannot provide.

CDC Report Suggests Good News, Bad News About HIV Infection

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/272005f.asp

The Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta recently reported that new figures for HIV AIDS show that there are now over one million American's with HIV AIDS. However, they proclaimed encouragement because the incidence of new cases has leveled off. However these facts can be misleading according to one expert. People are being kept alive but they are also mistakenly thinking that they are also engaging in more risky behaviors because of these figures. "If you look at the [incidences of disease among people in] the homosexual lifestyle or bisexual lifestyle, those are continuing to increase." -Dr. John Greene, a member of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, is the Chief of Infectious Diseases at the H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida

Governments weigh e-mail warning service for gay men with STDs

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/krwashbureau/20050620/ts_krwashbureau/_bc_gays_email_wa_1

Many local governments both in the US and abroad are adopting a program started in San Francisco which allows a person infected with HIV or AIDS to notify up to six partners anonmymously online through special cards sent out.

"Men finding men on the Internet for sex is actually considered on the rise, and it is a scary trend."  -Nestor Rocha, a division director for prevention and health promotion at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington

"It just made sense to have an online solution to an online problem," said Tom Kennedy, the communication director for Internet Sexuality Information Services.

New Study Shows Homosexuals Live 20 Fewer Years

http://www.dakotavoice.com/200506/20050606_1.asp

New study indicates that homosexuality more dangerous than smoking or obesity.

"Obituaries have indicated that gays seldom reach old age," Cameron said. "Indeed, gay obituaries suggest that engaging in homosexuality costs participants between 15 to 25 years of life, suggesting that homosexuality is more dangerous than smoking or being fat." -Dr. Paul Cameron, President of Family Research Institute

Viagra May Raise STD Risks in Gay Men

http://www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/525984.html

There is an ongoing debate over Viagra. The manufacturers and some experts do not believe that Viagra should be blamed for the risky behaviors of users. However, researchers have shown in 14 studies since 1999 that gay Viagra users are 2 to 5.7 % more likely to have unprotected sex, 2.5 times more likely to test positive for HIV, twice as likely to have another type of STD and 3.5 times more likely to have used methamphetamines within the last four weeks. Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, associate clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School stated, " Just because two things happen to go together - - in this case, risky behavior and Viagra -- doesn't mean Viagra caused the risky behavior."

LGV the "New AIDS" confirmed in Canada

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050601.wxhdisease01/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/

According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, published online on May 31, 2005, there have been 22 cases of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) reported in Canada in recent months, all in homosexual and bisexual men with high-risk sexual practices. While LGV is a form of Chlamidia and not AIDS it is being spread in an almost identical way that AIDS was originally spread and can have a very negative impact on those already infected with HIV or AIDS. "LGV isn't the only sexually transmitted disease we're seeing. The number of cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia are all increasing," said Dr. Thomas Wong, director of the community-acquired-infections division of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Concern as gay HIV rate rises

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/GE25Ak11.html

last year saw a ten-year high in AIDS/HIV cases in Hong Kong among gay men. While the overall numbers of new cases remains static the percentage involving gay or bisexual men is rising at a rate which is alarming to health officials.

The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS01B1

by: Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.

"Hollywood and the media relentlessly propagate the image of the fit, healthy, and well-adjusted homosexual. The reality is at polar opposites to this caricature: homosexual and lesbian relationships are typically characterized by instability, promiscuity, and unhealthy and risky sex practices, factors that greatly increase the incidence of serious and incurable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including hepatitis, HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS."

Review of the study: Brain response to putative pheromones in homosexual men

http://www.drthrockmorton.com/article.asp?id=146

Warren Throckmorton, PhD
May 10, 2005

Research Review
By Warren Throckmorton, PhD

Title: Brain response to putative pheromones in homosexual men
Authors: Ivanka Savic*†‡, Hans Berglund§, and Per Lindstro¨m
Reference: Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, pages: 7356–7361, May 17, 2005, vol. 102, no. 20.

Sexual Orientation and Smell - Reactions to Martins, et al (2005)

http://www.drthrockmorton.com/article.asp?id=147

Warren Throckmorton, PhD
5/11/05

Research Review (a work in progress, write me at ewthrockmorton@gcc.edu if you see something incorrect or have questions about what I mean)

Title: Preference for human body odors is influenced by gender and sexual orientation
Journal: Psychological Science, September, 2005 (Accepted; prepublication copy)
Authors: Martins, Y., Preti, G., Crabtree, C., & Wysocki, C.

Abstract (by the authors, from the journal article)
Human body odor may contribute to selecting a partner. If true, then sexual orientation may influence preference for and perhaps production of human body odors. To test these hypotheses, heterosexual and homosexual males and females made two-alternative, forced-choice preferences for body odors obtained from other heterosexual and homosexual males and females. In four sub-experiments, subjects chose between odors from (i) heterosexual males versus gay males, (ii) heterosexual males versus females, (iii) heterosexual females versus lesbians, and (iv) gay males versus lesbians. Results indicate that differences in body odor are detected and responded to based, in part, upon an individual’s gender and sexual orientation. Possible mechanisms underlying these findings are discussed.

Debate Rekindled in Homosexual Brain Research

http://drkoop.com/newsdetail/93/525660.html

Whether sexual orientation is innate or learned remains a hot scientific and social topic.

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDayNews) -- The latest research indicating that at least some aspects of homosexuality may be "hard-wired" into the brain has once again fanned the flames of debate.

Swedish scientists claim that chemicals called pheromones that affect our sense of smell are different for gay men and straight men, providing another biologic basis for different sexual orientation. Adding fuel to the fire is the finding that gay men's brain reactions to the chemicals were similar to women's reactions.

Differing brain response seen in gays, heterosexuals

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/10/differing_brain_response_seen_in_gays_heterosexuals/

Study of men focused on chemicals, sex

By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press  |  May 10, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Gay men's brains respond differently from those of heterosexual males when exposed to a sexual stimulus, researchers have found.

The homosexual men's brains responded more like those of heterosexual women when the men sniffed a chemical from the male hormone testosterone.

FDA to Implement Gay Sperm Donor Rules

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050505/ap_on_he_me/gay_sperm_donors_3

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer Thu May 5, 4:35 PM ET

NEW YORK - To the dismay of gay-rights activists, the

   

Food and Drug Administration is about to implement new rules recommending that any man who has engaged in homosexual sex in the previous five years be barred from serving as an anonymous sperm donor.

Sex-Change Operations Don't Provide Mental Health

http://www.thefactis.org/default.aspx?control=ArticleMaster&aid=111&authid=7

Dale O'Leary

While I was still in high school, I learned how in other times and other places men were castrated so they could serve in harems or sing in choirs. I was grateful that I lived in a civilized culture where such atrocities were no longer condoned. Unfortunately, the practice of mutilation has been revived, this time by doctors who claim to be able to change a person's sex with radical surgery

Late Diagnosis of HIV Persists in the UK

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=8333940

Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:33 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Delayed diagnosis of HIV infection continues to be a problem among gay men in England and Wales, investigators with the Health Protection Agency's Center for Infections in London warn.

"Early HIV diagnosis is critical in getting HAART started, which is vital for survival and is likely to limit the spread of infection," Dr. Timothy R. Chadborn told Reuters Health. "However, we estimated that almost one third of newly diagnosed homosexual men were diagnosed late with HIV between 1993 and 2002."

Many HIV-Positive Gay Men Unaware They're Infected

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050426/hl_nm/hiv_gay_dc_1

Tue Apr 26, 3:01 PM ET

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many young gay and bisexual men who are HIV-positive may not know they have the virus, according to U.S. health officials.

Their study of more than 5,600 men between the ages of 15 and 29 found that more than three-quarters of those who tested positive for HIV were unaware they were infected. Moreover, before being tested, a majority of these men thought themselves at low risk of having the AIDS virus, and half had had unprotected sex with another man during the previous 6 months.

Study: N.M. Gay Men Not Getting HIV Tests

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050416/ap_on_he_me/hiv_tests_3

Sat Apr 16, 1:01 AM ET

SANTA FE, N.M. - A state Health Department study has found gay men in New Mexico are not getting regular tests for HIV, meaning many are finding out they have the virus when they become very ill.

Sixty-three percent of New Mexicans diagnosed with AIDS last year were unaware they had HIV, the virus that destroys cells in the immune system and leads to AIDS, according to the department's February study.

The African heterosexual AIDS myth

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GuestColumns/Fumento20050414.shtml

Michael Fumento (archive)

April 14, 2005 |

Ninety-nine percent of AIDS and HIV cases in

Africa

come from sexual transmission, virtually all heterosexual. So says the World Health Organization, with other agencies toeing the line. Massive condom airdrops accompanied by a persuasive propaganda campaign would practically make the epidemic vanish overnight. Or would it?

Half of Sexually active Teens will get STD

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/05040606.html

RALEIGH, N.C., April 6, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Half of US teens who are sexually active will contract a sexually transmitted disease by the time they are 25, a study by the American Social Health Association (ASHA) revealed Tuesday. The report, State of the Nation 2005: Challenges Facing STD Prevention in Youth, also highlighted that "overall incidence of STDs has increased dramatically in recent years."

Distraught at meth epidemic's toll, gay activists mobilize to make a deadly drug 'uncool'

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050403-1022-methstoll-gays.html

By David Crary
ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:22 a.m. April 3, 2005

NEW YORK – It's a Friday evening, traditional kickoff time for the party scene in New York's gay community, but the 75 men packed into a small room at a gay health center aren't in a partying mood.

Through a humbling 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, they are battling to kick their addiction to methamphetamine, and in doing so escape an epidemic that is roiling urban gay communities nationwide with disease, despair, embarrassment and anger.

Gays Mobilize Against Meth Addiction

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/Meths_Toll_Gays.html

By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer
April 3, 2005

NEW YORK — It's a Friday evening, traditional kickoff time for the party scene in New York's gay community, but the 75 men packed into a small room at a gay health center aren't in a partying mood. Through a humbling 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, they are battling to kick their addiction to methamphetamine, and in doing so escape an epidemic that is roiling urban gay communities nationwide with disease, despair, embarrassment and anger.

Rare disease now affecting homosexual men

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12712781-38200,00.html

From correspondents in Paris

March 31, 2005

From: Agence France-Presse

A RARE rare venereal disease, a bacterial infection of the anus and genitalia, is now "a significant" problem European homosexual men, a specialist journal has reported.

The disease, Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), is caused by an invasive strain of chlamydia.

Previously known only as a rare disease in poor countries, LGV was first reported in Europe in 2003, when an outbreak was detected among 100 gay men in Rotterdam, the April issue of Sexually Transmitted Infections  reported.

But LGV was now "a signficant problem" among homosexuals in Europe, the journal reported.

Outbreaks have occurred in Belgium, Germany, France and Sweden

'Health Disparities' Not Just in the Black Community, Activists Say

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200503%5CPOL20050316b.html

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
March 16, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - "Health disparities" have emerged as a key issue for the African-American community; and now the homosexual community is demanding its share of the "health disparity" pie.

HIV Paternity Payments Urged for 'Deadbeat' Infectors

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=%5CSpecialReports%5Carchive%5C200503%5CSPE20050314a.html

By Marc Morano
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
March 14, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - A nationally syndicated columnist who is openly homosexual is offering what he calls "a truly radical step" to curb unsafe sex -- forcing HIV-positive homosexual men who knowingly or negligently spread the virus to be financially accountable to their affected sexual partners.

Teen HIV spurs calls AIDS education

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/education/nyc-aids0314,0,1832701.story?coll=nyc-homepage-breaking2

BY JOSHUA ROBIN
STAFF WRITER
March 13, 2005, 7:00 PM EST

Alarmed by the spread of AIDS in young adults, a South Bronx health education group is pressing school officials to increase the number of classes on the deadly virus.

Gay festival may be behind HIV surge in Singapore

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050309/hl_afp/healthaidssingapore_050309120534

Wed Mar 9, 7:05 AM ET

SINGAPORE (AFP) - One of Asia's most popular gay and lesbian festivals may be behind a sharp rise in the number of new HIV (news - web sites) infections in Singapore, a government minister told parliament.

New HIV Strain Raises Gay Health Concerns

http://www.laindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=71&twindow=&mad=No&sdetail=1795&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname==

By ROSANNA MAH, The Independent Staff Writer 02.MAR.05
Local AIDS activists and city officials are urging the gay community to practice safe sex in light of a recent discovery of a rare HIV strain that is highly resistant to most anti-viral treatments.

The virulent strain was first found in a New York City man in his mid-40s who engaged in unprotected anal sex with over 100 men over a period of six months while using crystal methemphetamine.

Jackson urges high-profile blacks to lead HIV testing campaign

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/11017126.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Posted on Mon, Feb. 28, 2005
Associated Press PHILADELPHIA - The Rev. Jesse Jackson is calling on prominent black men to step forward and have themselves tested for HIV in order to remove the stigma and help stop the spread of the disease. Jackson, speaking Monday at the National Conference on African Americans and AIDS, said ignorance was enabling the disease to spread among poor blacks, especially women. "Why can't ministers and high-profile athletes and high-profile television people take the test to remove the taboo?" asked Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "We've analyzed this thing to death," Jackson said. "We must now move from mass analysis to mass action."

HIV/AIDS: How to Roll Back the Rising Tide

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=%5CCommentary%5Carchive%5C200503%5CCOM20050301a.html

By Paul M. Weyrich
CNSNews.com Commentary
March 01, 2005

Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy certainly is no conservative or traditionalist, but in reviewing a book about the unspoken sexual liaisons between black men - many of whom are married or have girlfriends -- Milloy wrote, "If black women are worried, and angry, about this sickening state of affairs, who can blame them? Let's hope their concern translates into an insistence on the use of condoms -- if not outright abstinence."

Super-HIV man had sex with 100

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/284403p-243554c.html

BY PAUL H.B. SHIN DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

BOSTON - The New York man who sparked fears of a powerful new strain of HIV had drug-fueled, unprotected sex with more than 100 men in the months before his diagnosis, a top researcher said yesterday

STDs Drive Contagious Infections in U.S.

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/232005d.asp

By AFA Journal
February 23, 2005

(AgapePress) - The sexual revolution was supposed to provide Americans plenty of free sex at no personal cost, but evidence continues to pour in that, while there may be plenty of sex, it's not without cost.

Scientists Explore Meth's Role in Immune System

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/health/22meth.html

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Published: February 22, 2005

Reports that a New York man may be carrying a rare and possibly virulent strain of H.I.V. have focused new attention on the biological relationship between the virus and methamphetamine, a drug that has become increasingly entwined in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in cities from San Francisco to Miami to New York.

Alarm Over Single AIDS Case Is Challenged by Questioners

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/health/21aids.html

By MARC SANTORA and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: February 21, 2005

New York City's health commissioner, Thomas R. Frieden, had barely stepped away from the microphone on Feb. 11 after announcing the discovery of a possibly new and deadly H.I.V. strain when the storm started. More than a week later, it has not abated.

In Africa the stigma of AIDS poses a barrier to revelation of vital information

http://www.thefactis.org/default.aspx?control=ArticleMaster&aid=45&authid=7

On Jan. 30, the front page of The New York Times announced that the "U.S. is close to eliminating AIDS in infants." Wonderful news. This advance is the result of the application of standard public health measures, including testing of mothers and babies, and the widespread use of drugs which prevent mother-to-baby transmission.

While applauding this success, one may ask: What took so long?

....."Why is HIV/AIDS not treated like other diseases? Why was the possibility of discrimination worse than the reality of an HIV infected baby?

Gay Users of Internet Play Down Concerns Over New Strain of AIDS

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/14/health/14online.html??

By DAMIEN CAVE

Published: February 14, 2005

lerts popped like flashbulbs all over the Web this weekend as news of a rare and potentially more aggressive form of H.I.V., first reported publicly in New York on Friday, spread through gay chat rooms, Web logs, dating sites and e-mail.

Gay community issue warning on new strain of HIV

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/1587.html

Posted on : 2005-02-12| Author : Mike Burns News Category : Health

If Friday’s announcement had researchers of the AIDS vaccine throwing up its hands in despair, it also saw a section of society taking prompt action. Health care officials and leaders of New York City’s gay community have warned New Yorkers to take even more care. “The concept of safe sex has to be followed more stringently. It cannot be compromised at all now.” said a senior researcher of AIDS program at Columbia University Medical Center.

AIDS Report Brings Alarm, Not Surprise

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/nyregion/13aids.html

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and MARC SANTORA
Published: February 13, 2005

As word spread yesterday of a rare and potentially more aggressive form of H.I.V., first reported publicly in New York on Friday, communities already hit hard by the disease, professionals who combat it, and people who are infected reacted with fear and skepticism. But few were surprised, given that the sense of urgency about the disease has waned.

The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality

http://www.frc.org/index.cfm?i=IS01B1&f=WU05B05&t=e

Issue No.: 232
by: Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.

Hollywood and the media relentlessly propagate the image of the fit, healthy, and well-adjusted homosexual. The reality is at polar opposites to this caricature: homosexual and lesbian relationships are typically characterized by instability, promiscuity, and unhealthy and risky sex practices, factors that greatly increase the incidence of serious and incurable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including hepatitis, HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS.

U.S. HIV Cases Soaring Among Black Women

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3318-2005Feb6.html

By Darryl Fears

Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 7, 2005; Page A01

He was, Precious Jackson said, a very fine black man. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall with an almond-milk complexion, dreamy dark eyes and a deep voice. During their nearly two years together in Los Angeles, he was the sunshine of her life, even though he had a habit of landing in jail and refused to use a condom when they made love.

 

New STD Identified in NYC

http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/Feb/EEN4202346ee5edc.html

Gay and Bisexual Men Urged To Practice Safe Sex

New York City health officials are warning gay and bisexual men of a new sexually transmitted disease that is beginning to circulate. The disease, lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), is a form of Chlamydia.

Non-sex genes 'link to gay trait'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4215427.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 31 January, 2005, 00:00 GMT

Multiple genes - and not just the sex chromosomes - are important in sexual orientation, say US scientists.

A University of Illinois team, which has screened the entire human genome, say there is no one 'gay' gene.

Writing in the journal Human Genetics, they said environmental factors are also likely to be involved.

Study: Many Blacks Cite AIDS Conspiracy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33695-2005Jan24.html

By Darryl Fears

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 25, 2005; Page A02

More than 20 years after the AIDS epidemic arrived in the United States, a significant proportion of African Americans embrace the theory that government scientists created the disease to control or wipe out their communities, according to a study released today by Rand Corp. and Oregon State University.

That belief markedly hurts efforts to prevent the spread of the disease among black Americans, the study's authors and activists said. African Americans represent 13 percent of the U.S. population, according to Census Bureau figures, yet they account for 50 percent of new HIV infections in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gays' Rising Meth Use Tied to New HIV Cases

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-meth19jan19.story

By Lisa Richardson and Lee Romney, Times Staff Writers
January 19, 2005

For seven years methamphetamine helped Ron Conner believe he was the talented, sexy, bold man he had always dreamed of being. The 37-year-old graphic artist would have sacrificed everything to hold onto that glamorous vision of himself — and, ultimately, he nearly did.

"I lost my house, two cars, my checking and savings accounts, my piano, my boyfriend," he said.

"I had sex with guys I knew were [HIV] positive, who said they were positive, and I just didn't care," he added.

A New H.I.V. Alarm

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/education/edlife/EDHIV.html

By SCOTT JASCHIK
Published: January 16, 2005

JONATHAN M. PERRY has never been shy about being identified as gay at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college here. He tells anyone who asks, and plenty who don't. At 6-foot-2 and a trim 150 pounds, he's hard to miss. He sometimes paints his fingernails and toenails black and wears flip-flops so no one will miss the fashion statement. He has an ''I Like Your Boyfriend'' T-shirt.

''I don't believe in having any skeletons in any closets,'' he explains. So Mr. Perry was a logical choice to speak at a sorority-sponsored forum on AIDS during his sophomore year. As he recalls, he started off by posing a question: ''How many of you know someone who has H.I.V.?''

Gay Men May Be Misusing Viagra

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050113/hl_nm/gays_viagra_dc_1

Thu Jan 13, 3:19 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Approximately one out of six gay men use Viagra recreationally, and are more likely to do so if they are also using illegal drugs, new research indicates.

U.S. investigators Richard Crosby of the University of Kentucky in Lexington and his co-author R. J. DiClemente found that men who experimented with cocaine and ecstasy were nearly three times more likely to have used Viagra without a prescription in the previous three months.

Jan. 12 Forum to Address Crystal Meth Use in New York's African- American Community

http://www.usnewswire.com

1/10/2005 1:38:00 PM

To: City Desk

Contact: Inga Sarda-Sorensen of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 212-620-7310, ext. 230

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Concern about the spread of crystal meth use in the African-American community is prompting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Harlem United Community AIDS Center and New York Panthers Leather Club to sponsor a free forum titled The Realities of Crystal Meth for Men of Color, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 6-8 p.m., at the National Black Theatre, 2031 5th Avenue (between 125th and 126th streets) in New York City.

"A decade ago, we watched as cocaine use grew into a crack epidemic in communities of color. With this collaboration and campaign, we are trying to prevent crystal meth use from exploding into an epidemic among men of color," says Dr. Barbara Warren, who is responsible for research at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street in New York City; http://www.gaycenter.org.

The groups have also launched a community-awareness campaign comprising compelling posters featuring photos of African-American men, titled "PNP? Party N' Play or Party