Play Safe, Boys
Half of gay men who have HIV don't know it
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Please play safe.
In Chicago, half of the HIV-positive gay men don't even know they're infected, a startling new study found.
They're numbers we've all seen before, but the sobering fact is that they haven't been going down, despite all we know about prevention. Infection rates have remained "relatively stable" since 2006, with more than 2,000 new HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed each year in the city.
To keep this article from becoming just a list of mind-numbing facts, there's one thing we should point out first. Despite what you may think about HIV being something you just take a pill for and everything's OK -- it's not. It's tough living with the virus. There are constant doctor's visits, reactions to the medications (not to mention the cost), and the occasional odd infection, like getting shingles after you start your meds. And while you can live for years, even decades with HIV, wouldn't it be more fun living without it?
Back to the study:
Researchers with the Chicago Department of Public Health surveyed 524 men who have sex with men, and found that a whopping 17.4 percent of them were HIV positive. That's compared with just 1.2 percent of all men in Chicago.
The study went further, breaking out HIV infection rates among ethnic groups. About 30 percent of black gay men in Chicago were HIV positive, by far the group with the highest infection rates.
“These rates are unacceptably high -- and clearly, there is a need for continued, substantial efforts to reach people at risk with effective HIV education and testing services,” said Christopher Brown, CDPH Assistant Commissioner for STI/HIV/AIDS.
Since the epidemic began, more than 35,000 people have been infected with HIV in Chicago, and more than 22,000 have been diagnosed with full-blown AIDS. Of the known AIDS cases in Chicago, more than 12,000 have died. There are currently more than 21,000 people known to be living with HIV and AIDS in Chicago, but the research shows that thousands more are likely living with the virus in their bodies, but do not know it.
City health officials hope the study will be used to educate people about how important getting tested is, even if you don't think you're sick.
For your own sake, boys, please play safe.
Posted Friday, Jul 24, 2009 - 3:09 PM CST
