Comments on: Owning Up To AIDS http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2006/10/01/owning-up-to-aids/ Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:50:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bill Muehlenberg http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2006/10/01/owning-up-to-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-785 Bill Muehlenberg Mon, 02 Oct 2006 07:41:18 +0000 http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2006/10/01/owning-up-to-aids/#comment-785 Thanks Matt A very good question indeed. In the past, major infectious diseases were treated with very serious measures. But AIDS has been exempt, because of political pressure. AIDS should be treated as a medical issue, not a political one. AIDS is a public health epidemic, requiring the normal stringent measures. This should include all the usual means of prevention of transmission: Public Health Departments should be able to know who has the disease through case monitoring and contact tracing; routine testing must be undertaken; and notification of carriers should be mandatory. These are the standard steps taken with other dangerous infectious diseases. But fear of offending the homosexual lobby has prevented such common sense measures being undertaken. Tragically this has resulted in the deaths of many more people than need have been so. Other examples of politics being put before public heath concerns could be mentioned. For example, take the issue of contaminated blood supplies, due in part to homosexuals who have demanded the right to donate blood, even though to do so would spell the death sentence for some, such as haemophiliacs. Other high-risk groups have been barred from donating blood. Thanks again for your comments. Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch Thanks Matt
A very good question indeed. In the past, major infectious diseases were treated with very serious measures. But AIDS has been exempt, because of political pressure.

AIDS should be treated as a medical issue, not a political one. AIDS is a public health epidemic, requiring the normal stringent measures. This should include all the usual means of prevention of transmission: Public Health Departments should be able to know who has the disease through case monitoring and contact tracing; routine testing must be undertaken; and notification of carriers should be mandatory.

These are the standard steps taken with other dangerous infectious diseases. But fear of offending the homosexual lobby has prevented such common sense measures being undertaken. Tragically this has resulted in the deaths of many more people than need have been so.

Other examples of politics being put before public heath concerns could be mentioned. For example, take the issue of contaminated blood supplies, due in part to homosexuals who have demanded the right to donate blood, even though to do so would spell the death sentence for some, such as haemophiliacs. Other high-risk groups have been barred from donating blood.

Thanks again for your comments.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

]]> By: Matt Page http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2006/10/01/owning-up-to-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-784 Matt Page Mon, 02 Oct 2006 07:23:36 +0000 http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2006/10/01/owning-up-to-aids/#comment-784 Hey Bill, Very good points to be making. But I just want you to elaborate on this here: "And because we have refused to treat HIV/AIDS as we have any other public health risk, we now are paying a terrible price." I'm not very knowledgable about the history of AIDS and was wondering how it hasnt been treated like any other public health risk. I don't want to put words in your mouth, so I'll let you elaborate Thanks - Matt Page, Melbourne Hey Bill,
Very good points to be making. But I just want you to elaborate on this here:
“And because we have refused to treat HIV/AIDS as we have any other public health risk, we now are paying a terrible price.”
I’m not very knowledgable about the history of AIDS and was wondering how it hasnt been treated like any other public health risk. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, so I’ll let you elaborate
Thanks – Matt Page, Melbourne

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