Would an AIDS cure really be beneficial on a global level?

[Sooga]

Imagine an AIDS cure were found tomorrow. Here's a list of what I think some of the repercussions would be, which I think would be visible in just a few months:

-Spread of other STDs, since people I think would be less cautious.
-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.
-Condom manufacturers would be hurt financially.

But now that I think about it, I'm not sure if sexual activity would really increase in any significant amount. I guess what I'm asking is, would the positives outweigh these (and other) possible negatives?

[diddle]

condom manufacturers hurt financially???

just delete your post while there is still time

[NLSoldier]

So let me get this straight. We have...
[ QUOTE ]
-Spread of other STDs, since people I think would be less cautious.
-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.
-Condom manufacturers would be hurt financially.

[/ QUOTE ]

vs.

Millions of people dying from aids.

Hmm, yeah thats a tough one.

[Sooga]

Obviously condom manufacturers losing money is a lesser concern, but I think the increase in other STD's and pregnancies could be a big problem. Plus I'm sure there are other ramifications that I haven't even thought of.

[IronDragon1]

If you wanted to make a post that causes a big stir you've succeeded.

If you're serious-then you've got problems none of us can solve

[bdk3clash]

"...I'm not sure if sexual activity would really increase in any significant amount."

Are you kidding? To paraphrase Bill Hicks, four words: Fucking. In. The. Streets.

[Sooga]

So you're saying that birth rates wouldn't increase and that global overpopulation wouldn't become more of a concern a generation down the line? I'm not saying that I don't want an AIDS cure to be found, but I don't think it'll be as good as everyone might think.

[Josh W]

I debated in high school with a guy who would take a contrarian stance on everything, just to take a contrarian stance.

He had a long speech that was very well rehearsed whereby he'd propose that the government should hide facts about the AIDS epidemic, arguing that the spread of AIDS would benefit the world.

Another possible negative side effect of finding a cure is the economic impact...how many billions and billions are spent annually to find a cure?

(regardless of the tone of this post, I think that finding a cure would be good).

Josh

[bernie]

I've asked this question about curing cancer before. Or even curing the common cold.

Think of the money involved in treating symptoms of a cold/flu.

I think the positives would outweight the negatives. Im not sure condom manufacturers would really be hurt that bad financially. Though there would be a slight drop in profit, I don't think it would be significant.

b

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
but I think the increase in other STD's and pregnancies could be a big problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean compared to the small problem of teen/unwanted pregnancy that we have today?

b

[Sooga]

Right, I'm saying the teen pregnancy issue would be even worse than it is today. And thank you and Josh for at least being willing to think about this logically, and not just dismissing this topic as idiotic.

[PokerFink]

[ QUOTE ]

-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think pregnancy rates would rise that much. If pregnancy rates were to rise, it would be due to people not using condoms when they used them before. However, anyone who had been smart enough to wrap it to prevent HIV is probably smart enough to use another form of birth control.

[BusterStacks]

No, AIDS is genius. It only affects those who expose themselves (in general). Now granted there are exceptions that are truly heart-wrenching, i.e. rapes and stuff, but over 95% or so who get AIDS basically knew it could happen. Do you agree?

[Dantes]

try here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=politics)

[thatpfunk]

[ QUOTE ]

Right, I'm saying the teen pregnancy issue would be even worse than it is today. And thank you and Josh for at least being willing to think about this logically, and not just dismissing this topic as idiotic.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you were really interested you could look at some statistics from the pre-aids era and now.

[Josh W]

Hmm, I don't think he mentioned ANYTHING about either:

Public POLIcy or
POLITicians.

Nope, not politics.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm saying the teen pregnancy issue would be even worse than it is today

[/ QUOTE ]

I think teen pregnancy today is at epidemic proportions and should be looked at even closer than it is. Especially here in wash. state.

It's not an idiotic question. As you mentioned, there are many outlying factors involved. Most of them concerning money.

Im not sure if there is as much money, profitwise, involved in AIDS as there is in Cancer and common cold/flu. I think if they cured the common cold, they wouldn't reveal it. Especially the way the drug companies run things.

It's hard to really say what would happen.

b

[ZeeJustin]

I think the best "AIDS is good" argument would need to recognize the fact that AIDS is most common in 3rd world countries. Throw in some arguments saying the world is overpopulated, and you might have an argument stronger than this "it would hurt the nice people down at the Trojan factor" BS.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
No, AIDS is genius. It only affects those who expose themselves (in general). Now granted there are exceptions that are truly heart-wrenching, i.e. rapes and stuff, but over 95% or so who get AIDS basically knew it could happen. Do you agree?

[/ QUOTE ]

Normally I would agree, but standard HIV tests won't detect the virus until several months after you, or your girlfriend, contract it. Keep in mind the infected person is still contagious during that time period. Makes the situation a little bit more dangerous.

[thatpfunk]

[ QUOTE ]

No, AIDS is genius. It only affects those who expose themselves (in general). Now granted there are exceptions that are truly heart-wrenching, i.e. rapes and stuff, but over 95% or so who get AIDS basically knew it could happen. Do you agree?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. Many areas of the world aren't educated, hence the highest rates of infection.

[Sooga]

The health of condom companies is not very important to me, but I was just listing all the possible things that I thought would result from an AIDS cure. Obviously pregnancies/overpopulation is a much more important issue.

[thatpfunk]

If this is the stance you are taking then I assume you believe the tsunami was a good thing?

[Josh W]

Like I said, I don't take this stance, and I don't know if Sooga really does or not, but there is a big difference between AIDS and the tsunami, namely choice.

A large portion (in the USA, dang near all, though much much less so in other nations) of people who get AIDS do so by entering activities where they know a potential result is AIDS. They enter a reasonably dangerous situation willfully.

With the tsunami, nobody CHOSE to have that happen.

(yes, I realize you could say that by living near the water, they chose to accept that risk, but that's really quite silly logic that I hope you won't espouse).

Josh

[Il_Mostro]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you agree?

[/ QUOTE ]
In the US (and the rest of the western world) yes. In third-world countries, no, not really.

[thatpfunk]

[ QUOTE ]
Like I said, I don't take this stance, and I don't know if Sooga really does or not, but there is a big difference between AIDS and the tsunami, namely choice.

A large portion (in the USA, dang near all, though much much less so in other nations) of people who get AIDS do so by entering activities where they know a potential result is AIDS. They enter a reasonably dangerous situation willfully.

With the tsunami, nobody CHOSE to have that happen.

(yes, I realize you could say that by living near the water, they chose to accept that risk, but that's really quite silly logic that I hope you won't espouse).

[/ QUOTE ]

If we are speaking purely from a population control standpoint, AIDS is MUCH bigger epidemic in Africa where choice plays a much smaller percentage.

[Catch of the Day]

what are these "con-doms" that you all keep talking about?

Catch-

[ghostface]

AIDS kills gays.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
Imagine an AIDS cure were found tomorrow. Here's a list of what I think some of the repercussions would be, which I think would be visible in just a few months:

-Spread of other STDs, since people I think would be less cautious.
-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.
-Condom manufacturers would be hurt financially.

But now that I think about it, I'm not sure if sexual activity would really increase in any significant amount. I guess what I'm asking is, would the positives outweigh these (and other) possible negatives?

[/ QUOTE ]
youre a moron

[bort411]

2 million African CHILDREN are currently infected with AIDS, and this is the best you can come up with?

[PoBoy321]

I'd much rather see a cure for anal warts tomorrow, I can barely sit down.

[masonx]

[ QUOTE ]
So let me get this straight. We have...
[ QUOTE ]
-Spread of other STDs, since people I think would be less cautious.
-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.
-Condom manufacturers would be hurt financially.

[/ QUOTE ]

vs.

Millions of people dying from aids.

Hmm, yeah thats a tough one.

[/ QUOTE ]


Its called natural selection..

[thatpfunk]

I hope you get hit by a truck.

[bort411]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope you get hit by a truck.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope he gets AIDS.

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
Like I said, I don't take this stance, and I don't know if Sooga really does or not, but there is a big difference between AIDS and the tsunami, namely choice.


[/ QUOTE ]

What gives us the right to morally judge other people if we believe they deserve to die, as a consequence of perfectly natural actions.

[ QUOTE ]
(yes, I realize you could say that by living near the water, they chose to accept that risk, but that's really quite silly logic that I hope you won't espouse).


[/ QUOTE ]

Although you still felt the need to cover it.

Mack

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope he gets AIDS.

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread is getting out of order, just because he's an idiot doesn't mean everyone else has to be one.

Mack

[PoBoy321]

[ QUOTE ]
This thread is getting out of order, just because he's an idiot doesn't mean everyone else has to be one.

Mack

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's a quarter, do me a favor and go get yourself some AIDS.

[masonx]

just stating the facts

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's a quarter, do me a favor and go get yourself some AIDS.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sigh, little boy stole daddies credit card again.

Mack

[PoBoy321]

Calm down, I'm making a joke. Don't get your panties in a twist.

Oh, and BTW, what does that even mean?

[bisonbison]

This thread sucks.

[bort411]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I hope he gets AIDS.

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread is getting out of order, just because he's an idiot doesn't mean everyone else has to be one.

Mack

[/ QUOTE ]

Out of curiosity, why did you reply to my post and not the one about getting hit by a truck? Can we agree that getting hit by a truck would be much worse?

[tdarko]

[ QUOTE ]
To paraphrase Bill Hicks, four words: [censored]. In. The. Streets.

[/ QUOTE ]
i poured a little bit out for him just now.

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
Out of curiosity, why did you reply to my post and not the one about getting hit by a truck? Can we agree that getting hit by a truck would be much worse?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure I meant both, no offence. Trucks are bad mm'kay!

Regards Mack

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
Calm down, I'm making a joke. Don't get your panties in a twist.

Oh, and BTW, what does that even mean?

[/ QUOTE ]

I took a vallium, I'm calm now, this site gets me het up sometimes. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Sooga]

There's an old Spanish proverb that says something like 'A wise man changes his mind; a fool never.' You can generally tell how intelligent someone is by their willingness to at least discuss things that they may very strongly disagree with. Intelligent people do this because they are at least willing to hear out an opposing viewpoint. Obviously, you are not one of these people.

What I find strange is that there are so many posters here who think that an AIDS cure would be such a great thing that it's ludicrous to even suggest that there may also be very real consequences to it.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
There's an old Spanish proverb that says something like 'A wise man changes his mind; a fool never.' You can generally tell how intelligent someone is by their willingness to at least discuss things that they may very strongly disagree with. Intelligent people do this because they are at least willing to hear out an opposing viewpoint. Obviously, you are not one of these people.

What I find strange is that there are so many posters here who think that an AIDS cure would be such a great thing that it's ludicrous to even suggest that there may also be very real consequences to it.

[/ QUOTE ]
im not spanish, and youre a tool
if there was something to discuss, id be willing

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There's an old Spanish proverb that says something like 'A wise man changes his mind; a fool never.' You can generally tell how intelligent someone is by their willingness to at least discuss things that they may very strongly disagree with. Intelligent people do this because they are at least willing to hear out an opposing viewpoint. Obviously, you are not one of these people.

What I find strange is that there are so many posters here who think that an AIDS cure would be such a great thing that it's ludicrous to even suggest that there may also be very real consequences to it.

[/ QUOTE ]
im not spanish, and youre a tool
if there was something to discuss, id be willing

[/ QUOTE ]

It's amazing when someone takes the side of an argument that is the easiest to win, and loses anyhow.

~D

[KaneKungFu123]

buster - you gotta be the biggest [censored] on this site.

congrats fucknut...

[ QUOTE ]
No, AIDS is genius. It only affects those who expose themselves (in general). Now granted there are exceptions that are truly heart-wrenching, i.e. rapes and stuff, but over 95% or so who get AIDS basically knew it could happen. Do you agree?

[/ QUOTE ]

[igotskillz.calm]

Yeah fuckface, maybe someone would live and they would save your life in the future.

A cure for you is what is oh so desperately needed

[mostsmooth]

i wasnt trying to win anything

[bisonbison]

Yeah fuckface, maybe someone would live and they would save your life in the future.

A cure for you is what is oh so desperately needed

Way to register a gimmick account and then reply to the wrong guy.

[Ulysses]

In the same vein, would the following be more good or bad?

A low-cost (essentially free) solution that could convert any water source into clean drinkable water that also provided vaccination against all the common childhood diseases.

[banditbdl]

[ QUOTE ]
What I find strange is that there are so many posters here who think that an AIDS cure would be such a great thing that it's ludicrous to even suggest that there may also be very real consequences to it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, sure there are consequences to an AIDS cure. However, the only ludicrous that should be discussed here is the idea that any of these negative consequences are anywhere remotely close to competing with the positive consequence of saving millions and millions of people from death and years of medical suffering. Not to mention, that many of these people will have family etc. that will greatly benefit from their not being freaking dead.

Screw the finances of some condom companies or drug companies, they can find a way to make some more money elsewhere.

Finally, I seriously doubt an AIDS cure would have a significant effect on the amount of protected/unprotected sex people are having. People like to screw, plain and simple and they will screw when they feel like it. Fear of AIDS isn't realistically stopping hardly anyone from having sex when they want to have sex.

You have every right to point out that an AIDS cure will have some negative consequences, but by pointing this out it implicitly states that you believe these consequences may actually have a real chance of outweighing the benefits of saving the lives of tens of millions of people. Which is in a word, Ludicrous.

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

A low-cost (essentially free) solution that could convert any water source into clean drinkable water that also provided vaccination against all the common childhood diseases.

[/ QUOTE ]

My quick answer is that while the likely result of a population boom in developing countries through the introduction of such a solution would introduce a host of new problems, it would still be a good thing to have such a product available. It is conceivable that overpopulation issues can be addressed in other ways, or even that the pressures introduced by overpopulation can eventually be abated, and it seems good to act now to make positive change. Interesting question, though.

[pc in NM]

[ QUOTE ]
Imagine an AIDS cure were found tomorrow. Here's a list of what I think some of the repercussions would be, which I think would be visible in just a few months:

-Spread of other STDs, since people I think would be less cautious.
-Increase in pregnancies, for the same reason.
-Condom manufacturers would be hurt financially.

But now that I think about it, I'm not sure if sexual activity would really increase in any significant amount. I guess what I'm asking is, would the positives outweigh these (and other) possible negatives?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just to quantify what would occur on the "positive" side of the ledger:

AIDS Around The World (http://www.avert.org/aroundworld.htm)

[ QUOTE ]
Already, more than twenty million people around the world have died of AIDS-related diseases. In 2004, 3.1 million men, women and children have died. Around twice the amount who have died until now - almost 40 million - are now living with HIV, and most of these are likely to die over the next decade or so. The most recent UNAIDS/WHO estimates show that, in 2004 alone, 4.9 million people were newly infected with HIV.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's just the number of lives that would be saved. In addition, the economies of several nations in Africa are threatened as people die, and the epidemic continues to spread in Southeast Aisa, the Indian Subcontinent and the Carribean....