Re: Re: HIV: Not Fabulous

[Guest guest]

I disagree. While I have not seen these ads, most of us that suffer the side effects of lipodystrophy are already dealing with poor self image and depression as a result of the bodily changes. To have it pasted all over magazines and media to reinforce how ugly a person with lipo feels ( and looks in some cases ) is insenstive and cruel. Our suffering should be respected and not made an example of. There are other ways to educate in a positive more intellectual way without stooping to this level. The very fact that people are still dying should be fear tactic enough. Also, there are cancers, lymphomas, heart attacks, poverty...the list is endless. If this doesn't deter someone, frankly nothing will. If the brainless party boys insist on barebacking, nothing you can say or do will have any effect. jim98122x wrote: I go back and forth on this issue....while I do think it could make brainless party-boys stigmatize poz people even more, I'd also point this out: Remember back in the late 80's when our friends were dropping like flies, and you'd find out somebody died a few days before, and you didn't even know he was sick? Way back then, do you remember anyone barebacking anyway? I sure don't. It was condoms all the

way. The fear tactic is ugly, but fear did seem to work back then. I agree, I think a lot of guys persist with unsafe sex because they haven't lost 20 or 30 or 50 or more friends to AIDS. It just doesn't register to them.JimS.Seattle> Ed,> Seems you and I think a lot. For me, the issue over the last ten years has been the absence of our friends and loved ones dying with regularity: the threat of death makes people choose life-affirming behaviors far better than anything else. People tend to blow by statistics, and the line between de-stiagmatising people with HIV while stigmatising HIV-favoring behaviors is one that seems to stay blurred.> > Peace,> > __________________________________________________