Washington Post Articles Examine HIV/AIDS in U.S.
The Washington Post on Sunday published two articles addressing HIV/AIDS in the U.S. Summaries appear below.
- "D.C. Gay Group Battles 'AIDS Fatigue'": National and local health care officials are concerned that men who have sex with men have "gotten collectively numb" about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and some gay rights groups say a "generational gulf" has emerged, the Post reports. The Post profiles D.C. Young Poz Socials, an HIV support group for MSM in the Washington, D.C., area (Vargas, Washington Post, 8/13). Shawn Henderson, moderator of the D.C. Young Poz Socials, and Post reporter Jose Antonio Vargas are scheduled to answer questions about MSM and HIV/AIDS in a Washingtonpost.com chat at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday. A transcript of the chat will be available online.
- "Why the U.S. Has Not Stemmed HIV": The number of new HIV cases in the U.S. over the past 15 years has remained stable at 40,000 cases annually. According to the Post, there is "little question that, for public health experts and AIDS activists, the fact that the HIV [incidence] rate has not changed since 1990 is an embarrassment. At the same time, it is a testament to a victory -- albeit one that happened long ago." The Post points to "intensive efforts" in the 1980s to "reduce risky behavior" among MSM and, "to a lesser extent," among injection drug users (Brown, Washington Post, 8/13).