Category: public health

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hopeful of change for Iraq, and some other interesting things

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So, the surge, you know, the one that I said wouldn’t work (because the many before it didn’t either), apparently isn’t working. Oops… I mean, we should have known better right? Wait… WE DID! Well, you would think at this point we would have gained a better perspective on things, especially regarding foreign policingpolicy, but alas, we aren’t making the changes we need to. But if you want to continue to believe that we are not causing any problems, and that genocide of Iraq and Iran is the answer, please, bury your head back in the sand, and let those of us that know the truth, strategize in peace.

However this goes, I have ultimate hope that this is true (that picture makes me want to vomit): apparently, given the dissension of his cronies, Bush might actually give in and compromise on a pull out strategy for Iraq. It is becoming clearer and clearer each and every day that we are doing way more harm than good by being in Iraq, and it is good to see more people coming over the that truth; even if it has taken this long. (Apparently, even though they aren’t doing what they need to do to get better, the Iraqis don’t agree that a pull out is good… hmmm, aren’t they already in a full blown civil war? Yeah, so stop using the “threat” of that as an excuse.).

This whole issue is like beating a dead horse, and we really just need to go ahead and bury the corpse already; it has gone beyond stinking. Stop the war, stop the killing, and stop trying to steal oil from another country. Let’s focus on us… that would be a good place to start.

Also, I don’t know how I feel about this, other than to say it pisses me off that people can generalize things so ridiculously. So let’s see, since SOME people get prescribed anti-depressants who are not depressed, it must mean that everyone is just seeking a “freebie” or an “easy out”? Fuck you. Seriously, fuck you. I know for my depression, I was in therapy a good 3 months before I ever even brought up the word medication, and I didn’t want to go on it, because I was not sure I needed it. I sought help for my depression, and as a result, have gotten a lot better. If I would have kept going down the road I was on, who knows what would have happened. I have said it before, and I will say it again, this sort of turning a blind eye on the need for mental health (as one sane doctor in the article calls for more of) is dangerous and just plain wrong. I hope that people continue to seek help if they need it; because even with the drugs, it isn’t an “easy fix”. Getting over depression is a daily struggle, and those drugs don’t take care of that for you. Shame on the people that are lumping and splitting all people on these medications in that way.

I also found this an interesting read. It seems pretty compelling that there is enough of a case to believe that perhaps Kurt Cobain didn’t kill himself. That really gets me thinking, especially because I remember when it was reported that he died. It really hit a lot of people hard, and it did seem a little out of place. Hmm… perhaps something will come of this? Either way, it was interesting to read, so I thought I would share.

That’s enough for today, I guess. Stay cool… it’s hot as fuck out there.

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do you know your status?

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Your HIV status, that is. Earlier this week, I wrote about how James and I decided to get tested at this past weekend’s Atlanta Pride festival, because it had been far too long since we had tested. Even though we have always tested negative in the past, we thought it was time that we get tested again; just to verify that things were still okay (and they are, we are both negative). We are in a strictly monogamous relationship, however, it still crosses my mind every day that I should KNOW my status, rather than accepting that it is still negative, since that is how I have tested in the past. For one, it is because I work in HIV prevention, but two, it is because I love James, and want us to be healthy and happy in our relationship together. Even though we are monogamous, it is always best to be 100%, rather than 99.9% sure, and he agrees.

I am writing about this today, because today is National HIV Testing day, and I thought it was necessary to challenge each and every one of my readers to go out, get an HIV test, and find out your status, both for you and for your partner(s) sake. You owe it to yourself, and to those that you have sex with, to find out your HIV status, and maintain an active knowledge of that status for both your health, and theirs.

Now, I bet you are thinking, “but duane, I didn’t get tested a pride… where can I go get tested?”. Well, I have great news; there is this great website that let’s you put in your zip code, which generates a list of HIV testing sites that are nearby. It is just that simple: type in your zip code, find where you want to go, and go get tested.

I have said it before, but I will say it again, only you can protect yourself from HIV infection.

But, wait, what if you test negative? Obviously, that is great news for you!! But that doesn’t mean that you can just forget about HIV; you MUST continue using protection, and continue to play it safe. It will literally save your life. CDC estimates that more than 40,000 people in the US alone are infected with HIV. This is just an estimate, because not all of these people are tested each year. If you don’t know your status, chances are, your partner doesn’t know theirs either; don’t let complacency cause you to risk your life.

I hope that everyone out there that sees this post will take the initiative to go out, get tested, and urge others to do the same. The best strategy for combating HIV is prevention. And remember, it isn’t just about knowing your status, it’s what you do with that knowledge; urge others to get tested, protect yourself, and maintain an active knowledge of your status… it could save your, and your partner’s, life.

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pride 2007: recaps and reflections

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perhaps my favorite parade participantAs I stated on Friday, this weekend was the annual Pride festival in Atlanta. Let me start my recap and reflections post about Pride this year by saying, that it was, hands down, the best time I have ever had an any pride before. This year, we got a tent, and set up in the park; which was probably the best decision ever. But more on that in a bit… let’s get started.

First, Saturday morning, James left to go down to the park and set up with everyone, while I remained in bed (I am not a morning person). After setting up, he came home and picked me up, and we were off to the park. I took my camera (as my flickr contacts have already discovered), and started taking shots right when we got there. I didn’t get a lot of good pictures from pride last year because it was rained out, so I definitely wanted to make up for it this year; and I believe I did.

homo sex is sin-sational!I walked around the park with my buddy Josh, along with Daniel and Andrew, and we literally and only made a half of a lap before we were all four soaked with sweat. After seeing the sights for a quick round, we followed Josh back to his place, where some protesters from last year had set up camp. Josh, as he is known pretty well throughout the internets, got back at the protesters last year by “altering” their message; and we were here to capture it this time. I got a great shot of Josh changing their message of hate into something funnier, and something that offered a little bit of relief for the rest of us that hate to see these hate-mongers that parade around throwing the bible in our face. While we were over at his house, we made a mistake, and got into it with one of the protesters, who had brought his two young daughters out in the heat just to damn us to hell. What a prick he turned out to be. Everything that we would ask, he wouldn’t answer, and every time we would say things like “Jesus doesn’t judge”, he would tell us that he did. He was a whack job, as he turned the judgment argument into his personal mission statement, saying that it was he who was to judge. To that, I said that he must be God then, because the Bible says only God can do that. He didn’t like that very much. We also kept asking him if he really believed that he was going to convince anyone using his tactics, to which he would reply that “spreading the word was his mission”. I asked him how often he was out here “spreading the message”, which promptly shut him up about that. He also kept yelling about “accepting Jesus” as the “only way to salvation”, and I told him that I had accepted Jesus a long time ago (I have). What pissed me off, was that he just deflected that, and called me a queer living in sin, and damned me to hell anyway. Maybe he should read a little of that bible he was throwing in my face. When we walked away from him, I told him that I felt sorry for him, because I was certain that he was probably homosexual himself, and that he had to live his life in this horrible manner of self hate and denial. He didn’t say anything else and actually walked away. Hmm…

prideAnyway, back to the festival… We went back to our tent, drank and ate, and enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the day and into the evening. As we sat in the scorching heat, we did talk about the reasons for pride, and we all agreed that we wished Judy could have held on a few more months, so Stonewall could have possibly happened in late September, and Pride could be held then instead. But, alas, June is when it is, and as such, it is why we were out there celebrating our ability to hold our heads high and come together as a community; showing the world that we are queer, and by saying it out loud, we are demanding that they take notice. It was a fun day.

donation flagSunday, we got out a little earlier, as James and I wanted to take advantage of the rapid HIV testing that AID Gwinnett was offering at their booth. I thought it was a great idea to have testing at pride, and we hadn’t been tested in a few years, so it was time. We are both negative (yay!), and there really was no reason to worry, as we are monogamous, but we still joked that we would either see everyone in 20 minutes for a day of fun, or we would just call them tomorrow. Well, glad that we didn’t have to walk down that road. After the testing, we marched over to the parade, which was nice, but way too long. There were definitely highlights (Baton BOB!), and I managed to take tons of pictures (again, on flickr — click here if you want to check out the set for yourself. James and I bailed before the end, because we were tired and it was hot. We then went back to the tent, and enjoyed the rest of the day. Deborah Gibson performed and was great, and we all had a great afternoon, just hanging out with friends, and being in the Pride atmosphere of the park. It was great. We stayed late into the evening, and then packed up and went home before the last drag performance was over.

By the time James and I got home last night, we were beat. I am still a little tired today, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It definitely was a Pride to remember. I am also sooooooo glad that it didn’t rain, because it is seriously the first pride I remember going to without a single instance of rain. And it was especially nice after having Pride rained out last year. Now I can’t wait until Pride next year; we all agreed that the tent was the best idea ever, and we will definitely be repeating that one. Hope everyone had a great weekend, and to everyone who celebrated, a happy Pride!

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pride, biology, orientation, and all things that make us gay

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Since this weekend is the 37th annual Atlanta Gay Pride festival, I thought I would reflect a little on pride, and what better way to do that, that with an article a flickr pal of mine sent to me about the biology of homosexuality? The article talks about current studies that are being conducted, many of which are looking at various biological trends in humans that indicate a biological representation of homosexuality. It builds on the studies from the past that looked at things like the differences in the hypothalamus (which was seen to be noticably different in homosexual men), and also looks at other interesting things potentially linked to your propensity to be gay, like being the youngest boy in your family, the length of your fingers, the direction of the whorl in your hair, and many other biological traits. What it goes on to show, is that the representation of these traits are sometimes significantly different for gay men, and even lesbian women, and as such, may prove to be biological markers that can be used to truly say that homosexuality is biologically determined.

While there is a lot covered in the article, and there are a lot of different points made, I thought it was interesting that first of all, we need to prove that homosexuality is somehow biological. I see how this proof would end the discussion that homosexuality was a choice, but it does open up a whole new can of worms, which is best summed up with this statement from the article:

If sexual orientation is biological, and we are learning to identify how it happens inside the uterus, doesn’t it suggest a future in which gay people can be prevented?

It appears that there is also some research looking at the possibility of genetic markers that “cause” homosexuality, and while they aren’t confirmed, it does sound both intriguing, and scary at the same time. I for one can’t imagine what would happen if it turns out that homosexuality is inherently genetic, and they do, then, start searching for a cure. (Additionally, I should note that the conclusion that lesbians are somehow “less homosexual” or even “more fluid” with their sexuality, because they haven’t identified as many markers in women is NOT something I endorse or agree with. Jumping to conclusions without research to back it up is dangerous and stupid.)

The whole notion of “curing homosexuality” is a scary thing, because I for one, don’t think that homosexuality is a disease, and as such, it certainly doesn’t need a “cure”. I am extremely proud of who I am, and being gay is a large part of that. I think that if I were meant to be born straight, I would have been. Plain and simple. I know that everyone doesn’t share my sentiment, especially those that hate themselves because they were born gay, but think about this: being gay, if it is truly biological, is essentially the same as if you were born black, red-haired, blue-eyed, female, or any other non-harmful biologically identifiable trait. The point is, that if it was meant to be, it would be. That is the way nature works.

But what about diseases, and genetically defective biological traits that can be identified and cured? Does this mean that I think that we should just let those diseases that can be prevented with genetic suppression go unchecked? No, I think that is a different argument, mainly because being gay has absolutely no provable detriment to a person’s life; other than, of course, the environmental and external influences that affect us. And we all know that just because you are gay doesn’t mean that you will be subjected to these influences, and just because you are straight, doesn’t mean you will be immune to them.

While being gay may be a “harder” life because of all that we face; discrimination, degradation, violence, hatred, etc, it is a life that we have lived, and because of what we go through, it shapes us into who we are. We are made up of both our biological selves that were given to us at birth, and we grow and are shaped by our experiences, and become who we are by combination of the two.

Now, I know for a fact that my experiences didn’t make me gay, but, they did happen to me because I am gay, and they helped me become who I am today. I am a proud, out, gay man, and I know what I know because of the journey I have been on to this point in my life. It is the journey, and what I have made from it, that I celebrate this weekend, and it is my hope that this important aspect of each gay person’s life is not lost if and when biological determinants are truly, and irrefutably identified.

Unfortunately, I am realistic about the world we live in, and I fear that the hateful, bigoted, religious extremists will force the issue of screening for these biological traits, in an effort to make gay people inferior. Even more, I fear that they will go further, and try to eliminate gay people from being born.

I hope that just because we identify that being gay isn’t because “you took dance instead of playing basketball”, and that it is because “you were born biologically homosexual”; people will NOT seek to eliminate the biological traits that make us special, unique, and wonderful.

Being gay is being different.
Being gay is being who we were born to be.
Being gay is who I am.
Being gay is who many others are as well.
Being gay is normal.

We are no less human, nor any less worthy of our lives as gay people, than anyone who is black, female, blonde haired, or left-handed is worthy of their life as who they were born. I hope that we can continue to live in a diverse world that begins to see these studies as a means of acceptance, and not as a means of elimination.

Given the tone this article has the potential to set, I for one, want to focus on the pride that I have for who I am, the community that I identify myself with, and what it means to sit here, typing this post as a proud gay man. It has been a long journey, but I know that I have a long way to go; and I couldn’t be happier that I get to take the journey myself. This weekend, I will celebrate this with my fellow gays in Atlanta, and it will be a beautiful thing. After the weekend, I will tell you all about it. Come out and see us if you can!

Happy Pride, y’all.

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irresponsible at best, and *shock* more blogger BS

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Shame, shame, shame. This TB scare-tactic bullshit has gone too far. They released the guy’s name, picture, profession, and even identified his father-in-law, who ironically, works at the CDC in TB research. Now, I am all for questioning why in the hell homeland security fucked up (again), in not checking the passport of someone that was specifically flagged (even though, he could have just come in by boat.. no one suspects anything there!), but I think that it is wholly irresponsible of the media to unleash the shit-storm that this guy could potentially face; especially since he cooperating fully with the medical authorities.

I am over this nonsense. This is not news. This is media bullying, and it has no place on the front page of the news. Remember that war in Iraq? Did you know that last month was the deadliest month since close to the beginning of the war for our soldiers? Why isn’t that a steady topic; that we are at war? Not that one man, one of the 50 (49 cases from 1993-2006 + 1 =…) in the past 14 years to get this strain of TB, has gotten TB and travelled; especially since even CDC says that the chances of spreading it during air travel is very low? Perhaps most of all, I would love to know why it was necessary to release his name and personal information, as I know that there were people that were talking about how they felt this guy should be lynched because of “what he did”. It is typical of a society to blame people for their illnesses, but I think that in this sensitive issue (which was only made as such by the media sensationalism), providing his personal information to everyone is adding fuel to a fire.

I for one, hope that nothing happens to this guy or anyone in his family, because I would hate for them to be subject to the blatantly irresponsible and thoughtless reporting done by the media in this case. I mean, you really have to ask yourself: did we need to know who this man was, especially considering that he is in quarantine? Did we need to know who his family is? If so, why? Is it so important to have a person we can point the finger at, and blame for this situation? Because I don’t think that it was necessary, fair, and even borders on being illegal. If the issue is homeland security, focus on the border guard that let him through!

Thank GOD we don’t go around publishing lists of names, with pictures, of people that are infected with HIV and other diseases, because we might have a situation like in the past with diseases like bubonic plague and leprosy; shunning, isolating, and punishing people for simply being sick. Why do we continue to blame sick people for their illnesses? Obviously he didn’t want TB, and he was told that it wasn’t “recommended” that he fly; so what did he really do wrong? He is a lawyer, not a doctor, so it is safe to assume that he didn’t understand the potential threat he posed; so why not give him some slack, especially since he is COOPERATING!

Treat him. Test those that were exposed. And let’s fucking move on already.

Finally, a teeny tiny side note. I have read the article that is making waves through the ATL blogosphere. I will admit, that it did make me slightly angry that the “high and mighty” feel the need to continually poke fun at what I write, and my style of blogging. But here’s what I have to say in response to the constant jabs at my subject material and writing: if you don’t like my blog, I DON’T GIVE A SHIT; don’t read it if you don’t want to. It is my blog. I can do with it as I please; and I always have, and always will. I am not writing my blog to make a “best of list”; I am writing my blog for my own enjoyment. It makes me happy to be able to have a space where I can share my thoughts and feelings, and I don’t need anyone’s approval to do that. If no one reads it, fine! If people do, fine as well!

So, I have to say to those that continue to do this, if you feel the need to point down from your “high horse” (or so you believe it to be), then fine. I just hope that you understand that your “mental and intellectual superiority” and the fact that you believe that you, or others, are somehow better because that is what you have convinced yourself of, then you are not only confused, but frankly, you are eerily focused on being critical and discontent with the world (in this case, the blogosphere). Why not move on? Find a hobby that doesn’t include staying so wrapped up in what other people are saying or doing that you feel the need to belittle them constantly, and actually live your life. So what if what other people write doesn’t measure up to your “standard”; does it really matter? I guess if you want to focus on it, so be it, but ask yourself: who is the one that is really exhibiting the asinine, those that write about what you deem unworthy, or the fact that you continually feel the need to bring it up over and over again in your own writing? Do you not have anything substantive to write about, other than the belittling of others that you believe to be intellectually inferior? Just move on. You might be able to gain some of that frivolity that makes us “underlings” so gleefully happy from time to time. Or not, either way, it’s your bag, not mine. It isn’t going to change me. (And yes, I know at least one person that is going to make fun of this, but yet, I am still posting it. I didn’t write it for them, and if they want to convince themselves I did, cool! Flattering much? I say make fun all you want to, because you seem to be the only one that cares enough to do so).

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see, I told you I would give praise where it was due…

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Today, I am going to write a post PRAISING George W. Bush. That’s right, you heard me correctly. I am going to praise him for something wonderful he has done. Something that is so close to my heart, and my life’s cause, that I can’t let it go by without acknowledgement. Does this mean that I think that this nullifies all of his other fuck ups? No, but it does mean that I can definitely see good where it truly shines; and today, that is in Bush’s recent requests from Congress.

Yesterday, Bush requested that Congress authorize $30 billion dollars to combat AIDS, and to provide medications for those afflicted with the disease. This money would go towards stopping AIDS worldwide, and providing medications for those that cannot afford it, in areas that are too poor to afford outrageous pharmaceutical mark ups. This is in addition to the $15 billion that he asked for back in 2003, and shows a clear and concentrated effort to truly help those afflicted with AIDS worldwide. This is amazing coming from the president, especially when you consider, that Reagan never even said the world AIDS during his presidency. Truly a monumental achievement to have our president focused on such an amazingly humanitarian effort.

I am honestly speechless that this amazingly large support for ending AIDS worldwide comes from a president that still touts abstinence only as the only method we can use in teaching our children how to prevent HIV infection in the states. At least somewhere in him, he realizes that the need for more than that is real, and as such, he is actually working with world leaders to make this a global effort.

There are critics to his plan, that focus on the fact that this is not enough money to truly make the type of dent that is necessary to take control of the epidemic. While I do agree that it is not enough, and while I see where they are coming from, I think that Bush has the right idea; it is important for every nation that can throw money at this thing to throw money at it. It can’t be something that the US does alone; if we want to stop it worldwide, we have got to use the rest of the world to do it with us. I for one, am excited to see what comes out of the upcoming global summit, with regards to what other top nations are going to offer as well. I will also have my attention focused on what Bush says about climate change, but we won’t get into that today, because I want to focus on the positive.

Bush, you have done a great thing. Even if one of your main motivators is giving the US good face, since we have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, it is STILL a good thing. I do, however, find it extremely odd that Christians, and Christian conservatives are so willing to embrace these efforts to help those that need it most in developing nations, when they continue to turn their backs on the people right at their doorsteps. I also find it weird that the focus on ridding the world of AIDS seems to be solely focused on the developing world, when it is still a real problem here in the US. I know that you can’t always have your cake and eat it too, and I certainly don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so these are things that I will just silently ponder; because while they are still important points, I don’t want to shit on the good that is being done with this initiative.

Again, THANK YOU Mr. Bush for showing that you have a compassionate bone in your body. Perhaps, this effort for the US to provide more generosity (even if it is only for the sake of saving face) will spill over into other issues, and we can continue to do more good in the world; perhaps so much, that we can stop doing the bad things, and focus solely on the good things. This is the direction we need to be going in as a nation, and I for one, am glad to see that not only are we capable of doing it, but there is at least some momentum that is going in that direction; even if it is only a little bit. If we want to have a great nation, we have to have it in a great world, and the only way we are going to make that happen, is through leadership, support, and compassion. The only way to make ourselves truly great, is to help those that we can, and do what is right.

(source; for the image too)

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look out! disease!! and I don’t want to admit it but…

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First of all, I want to respond to this picture that greeted me on the cover page of cnn.com this afternoon:

Now, this thing just screams, “run for the hills! Lock yourself in a fallout shelter! Tuberculosis is a’coming, and he is gonna kill your baby!”. Now, I am all for public health and awareness, but this much press to this case of TB is a little bit blown out of proportion. I say this, because even though it is a drug resistant strain of TB, this is what the CDC has to say about TB in the US:

…with increased funding and attention to the TB problem, we have had a steady decline in the number of persons with TB since 1992. But TB is still a problem; more than 14,000 cases were reported in 2003 in the United States.(source)

Now, that means that out of the millions and millions of people that live in the US, chances of getting TB are still pretty low. In fact, even all this press is stressing that those that were closest to the person on the flight were the ones that were most likely exposed; even though that doesn’t mean they were necessarily infected.

My point is, this form of scare tactic public health tends to do more harm than good. I bet those people are freaking out, and in turn freaking their families and friends out. Not only that, they have no way of truly preventing the fact that they have actually been exposed. What they should do, rather than splashing these terrifying images and headlines all over the news, is contact those that have been infected, test them, and move on.

I say this, because even CDC doesn’t use these scare tactics; that is all from the lovely media. More from the CDC website on TB:

In the United States, 49 cases of XDR TB have been reported between 1993 and 2006. (source)

This potentially makes this guy #50. Not too many people at risk here, so why the scare? Oh yeah, because he was on a plane. But wait, this is what CDC says about air travel and this specific strain of drug-resistant TB:

Air travel itself carries a relatively low risk of infection with TB of any kind.(source)

Well damn, there is pretty low risk, even to those people that were exposed to it. Again, why the media circus? Because, fear is what the media uses to manipulate us. It makes us feel less safe, and as such, gives them something to stir up. I just hate when it uses public health to do it; especially in cases like this that really don’t deserve the amount of attention this is getting. Sigh… I guess that is just part of living in this country; scared to death of everything, just because the media makes it seem that it is a direct threat to me, and may kill me. I mean, shit, TB is bad enough, but one they can’t cure!? I’ll never fly again! Well, that’s not true, but that is the kind of feeling they are going for. Shame on you “liberal” media, for twisting this story into something more grandiose than it really is.

Also… here’s the thing that I don’t want to admit: James and I have been shopping at Walmart recently. I feel so ashamed. I feel like I have given in to that deep down red neck side of me that still lives down in there somewhere. I mean, there’s nothing more ghetto-red neck fabulous than Walmart. But they have great prices! Damn, it is so hard to forget about how they rape their employees by preventing them from having company sponsored health care, so I won’t go often. Yeah… that will work. But I saved money! The humanity of it all. Damn you Walmart and your seductive prices!! Seriously though, I feel bad about it, but I guess not bad enough to never go back. I will just have to stay away from that side of the highway. That will make it a little better, I suppose.

Hope everyone’s hump day is humptastic! Thanks again for the support on the letter from yesterday, it was much appreciated.

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why we need a national mental health system that works

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In light of the events that transpired this week, there is buzz on the internets about gun control and whatnot, and I was seriously thinking about chiming in, but I realized that there is something that is far more critical to focus on: mental health and the lack of support for those that need it. The man that committed these murders at VA Tech this week was suicidal and declared officially mentally ill and a harm to himself by a court and professional mental health professionals. So why didn’t he receive treatment? A teacher even threatened to quit if he wasn’t removed from her class because he was so disturbing; yet the system still failed him. If he would have had the support of a working mental health system, there might not have been an incident as awful as this one.

I am not saying that a mental health program that truly works to treat those that need it will solve all of these problems, and I am certainly not suggesting that this was a simple solution that could have definitely prevented the attack at VA Tech. But, it is ignorant to think that it couldn’t have at least opened up the chance that it could have been prevented.

The key philosophy of public health is prevention. It is the foundation upon which all of our epistemological approaches to handling epidemics and pandemics is built. Preventing the disease, and preventing it from spreading is always more important than waiting for the fall out of what happens when people become infected, or in this case, if the disease is allowed to run its course without treatment.

Cho was mentally ill. Severely disturbed. He should have gotten the help he needed. There were at least three known incidents in which he was deemed unstable before this attack, and yet, he was never forced to get the treatment he needed; even though that forced treatment was recommended by a court. We need a system in this country that provides that level of service for people like Cho. We need a system in place that will work to help people like Cho, instead of letting them fall through the cracks.

When youth act out in ways that are characteristic of mental illness, what they need is treatment. This treatment can save them; and more importantly, it can save others. Currently, there is no such program, because if there were, there wouldn’t be mentally ill youth sitting in juvenile detention facilities instead of mental institutions getting the treatment they need.

This lack of services, and the lack of those getting the help they need when they need it is backed by this statement, taken from the National Institute of Mental Health’s website:

The study indicates that the U.S. mental health care system is not keeping up with the needs of consumers and that improvements are needed to speed initiation of treatment as well as enhance the quality and duration of treatment. For instance, over a 12-month period, 60 percent of those with a mental disorder got no treatment at all.

60% is a lot. We must do something about that. Our government must do something about that. Whether or not you agree with socialized medicine, I would hope that you can see how crucial this health service is to our society. It can not only save those that need the help directly, but it can save others. If only Cho would have been able to get the help he needed, things might be different. I personally hope that this sends a loud message to the government, that they immediately work to invigorate and revamp the current mental health services available in this country. I hope that action will be taken before another tragedy like this occurs; because apparently, it didn’t happen after Columbine, which happened under similar circumstances.

The time for mental health is NOW.

is it just me?, listen up!, near and dear, public health, tragic, venting

one step forward, two huge steps back

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Remember when I freaked out because someone thought that spreading the good news about circumcision in Africa was a good idea? Yeah, well, apparently, my fears were correctly placed, as New York City has decided to go forward with suggesting circumcision to reduce the spread of AIDS.

Now, I know that this isn’t as bad as saying, “hey! Have as much unprotected sex as you want now! You’re cut and therefore less likely to get AIDS!”, but it might as well be; because it is crystal clear, that there are so many men out there that already think with their dicks, and any excuse to take accountability out of the picture is an excuse they are willing to accept. I for one am seriously upset with the people that decided a research study conducted half a world away where the HIV incidence is extremely high, and where condoms are not readily available, and where this is used as a “last ditch” alternative, should be used and applied to the HIV situation in NYC. Additionally, something not widely talked about, is that the strain of HIV in Africa is different; meaning this may have NO effect in preventing transmission here. This is EXACTLY why I was so pissed at the article that was written, and this is a sad and extreme example of the right people taking the wrong information out of context and disseminating it as a viable alternative to prevention.

This really bugs me, because I was so happy to see NYC take such a grand step forward with the NYC condom campaign, and show how a city can be truly accountable for public health, and offer true prevention; but now, I am horrified to see these gigantic leaps backward. Can anyone tell me why people are so willing to bury their heads in the sand on issues like this? Seriously, HIV is a terminal illness, and isn’t something to fuck around with; especially when you are fucking around with other people’s lives.

If HIV incidence is affected by this in any way, it will surely increase the prevalence of unsafe behaviors, and therefore put more people at risk for HIV infection. People are already tired of having to worry about protecting themselves in the “heat of the moment”, and now that there are officials telling them that having a cut cock is protective against the virus, they are going to capitalize on that thought and throw caution to the wind. I for one hope that this gets buried quickly, and I hope that someone who has a truly holistic and factual understanding of the study they are pulling this information from puts a stop to the whole thing. This is just as bad as saying there is a cure that might work about 40% of the time, because people are always willing to believe they are part of the cured; even though the odds are largely stacked against them.

This just makes me hang my head in sadness. Why oh why, in this day and age, can’t people be more responsible, especially when it will affect so many? Sigh. I can’t fucking believe this.

If you are sexually active man, especially in NYC with this nonsense spreading, listen up:

MEN, if you have a cut cock, or if you have an un-cut cock, PUT A FUCKING CONDOM ON YOUR DICK BEFORE YOU HAVE SEX!!! If you are a bottom, MAKE SURE HE WEARS A RUBBER! Don’t trust everything you hear, because it is YOUR LIFE at risk. Don’t bury your head in their sand, because AIDS is real, and you will greatly increase your chance of getting it by following this HORRIBLE advice. Please, PROTECT YOURSELVES! YOU are the only one that can protect yourself from infection; take action!

get involved, is it just me?, listen up!, politics, public health, venting, well?

can’t there be some sort of happy medium?

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NYC condomsRight now, there is a debate going on over at my flickr page, on a specific photo that I posted of the new NYC sponsored condoms. While I know that there are varying opinions on whether or not the government has a stake in providing either health care or public health services to the people of this country, I honestly wonder; why can’t there be a happy medium? I mean, seriously, if you think government sponsored prevention programs are a bad idea, then you obviously don’t understand the impact that they have on health care. If you can prevent disease, you don’t have to treat it! (hence why I think the NYC condoms are such an amazing and awesome idea and execution of that idea!)

Most of the people that argue against public sponsored health care and public health services don’t believe that there should be any government support. A lot of people that are in the opposite camp, who are for those services, think that they should be available to everyone. I want to ask, why can’t there be a solution that falls somewhere between all and nothing? Sure, socialized medicine in theory is a great idea; everyone is taken care of. But, as dave, and others that believe what he believes about socialized medicine correctly point out, there are inherent problems when the government tries to take over and control something that it doesn’t really know how to do. Case and point: medical services for troops and veterans. Talk about a huge fuck up. And that is not what we want for everyone in the country.

Unfortunately, those fuck ups are then used to smear the idea of having any assistance from the government for public health services, and that is something I don’t understand. The main reason I don’t understand it, is because if you look at the countries that have socialized medicine, while it may not be the best possible solution, they far exceed our mortality rates, infant deaths, life expectancies and so on. It is obvious, that overall, government involvement in providing public health services does have a net benefit. So why can’t we take what we know (the government can fuck it up) and use that to come up with a happy medium that isn’t all (everyone must use government sponsored health care), or nothing (fuck em if they can’t afford it on their own)?

I wonder this, because my own personal views of public health and government supported health care come from a place of extensive education and research. I work for the top government public health organization, and have a masters degree of study that was mainly focused on public health. In addition to that focus, my masters degree focuses even more on what happens when the application of that public health means well, but goes wrong, or, in even worse situations, when it is ignored, and not provided at all. Speaking as someone who is very well educated in the subject, I think that it is ignorant to think that the government does not have any stake in providing people with some public health and health care services. Currently, the services that are provided are good in many respects, but are really awful in other areas. I think that it wouldn’t be very difficult to have governmental support in the areas that are bad, and that would provide for those that need the support. This does not equal total government support in the least; what it does do, is it helps those that need it get it.

Isn’t that what society is for? If everyone went around with the attitude of, “me, me, me, me!”, then we wouldn’t be able to function as a society. With specific regards to public health and health care services, the government does provide some services, and SHOULD, because if you want to support and maintain a society with a thriving economy, you must consider and support the health of the people that a part of that system. If you rely solely on charitable support for your health care, you will never get anywhere near what people truly need, as most of the people that have the money to give large charitable donations will never give enough to adequately cover what tax dollars can cover. Everyone can benefit from a government sponsored public health and health care services plan, which would include things like insurance changes, regulations on doctor fees, lowering of prescription prices, and so on. I just don’t see why a happy medium is such a bad thing.

The only people that I can see that would be so against this happy medium that I am suggesting (which again, does NOT include forcing everyone to have government sponsored health care), are people that don’t care about anyone other than themselves. It is interesting to me that these are the people that usually tout charitable donations as the solution (sorry to call you out dave), because being so selfish obviously means you wouldn’t be giving charitable donations. It is like saying, the solution would be to color it red, and you are the only one in the room with a red crayon, and you are unwilling to share it, or color it red yourself. That is not only selfish, it is undeserving of being a member of society in my opinion. We have to sacrifice things to be a part of society, sacrifice things to the one body that can govern and protect us. That body is the government, and while I too don’t agree with what all of our tax dollars go to, I think that public health is one of the most critical and substantially important places that money should be going to, and some sort of government involvement in that is not only required, but expected. To suggest otherwise is negligent, in my opinion.

Now, I know you are itching to, so go ahead and rip me a new one. I know that you may disagree, and that is fine, these are our opinions after all. We are entitled to them. This is mine. It isn’t like what is said here will become the policy of the government, even though I hope that some form of what I have stated could eventually find its way into our current policies. To be quite frank, I also think that it is a good thing that these opinions will not become policy, with specific regard to the thought that government has no place in providing public health services! I write this, because I truly don’t understand how the richest and most powerful nation in the country can turn its back on the citizens that live here. Those people are not entitled to anything more than anyone else, but they are also not to be denied anything that everyone else may have (and do have) a better chance at receiving. If you believe that everyone has the ability to get whatever they want (the “American dream”), then this argument is falling on deaf ears, because you have decided to tune out what is really going on in this country (and throughout the world) long ago. I only hope that one day, each side of this argument can find a way to come together and simply provide what is needed. THAT is what will make for stronger society. That is what will make for better and more robust economy. And that is what will make us stronger and better as a nation.

Continuing to go in the direction of wealth, power, and destruction at all costs, even the cost of our own citizens, will ultimately be our own demise. We will not need terrorists to destroy us, we will destroy ourselves. We are already doing it. And that is scary, but real.