Passionate about HIV

Researchers have discovered that the origin of HIV in humans may go back even farther than we thought, perhaps as early as 1884. This origin and subsequent rise has been researched by many attempting to grasp where this virus has been and what its journey might imply for our future.  The research dating HIV’s emergence in humans much earlier than we thought has prompted some interesting reactions. Just looking at the comments on the Nature article, the challenges of discussing HIV are evident. Social, cultural and scientific interests collide and ignite. And as seen many times before, HIV hits a nerve because it is linked to taboos, passion and despair.

 It’s a challenge to discuss because it so clearly cuts to the chase: sex, drugs and things you wouldn’t want to tell your mother. HIV has been cast as a grim reaper, a scourge, a plague out to “get” whatever populations are being discussed in the moment: people in African countries, homosexuals, injection drug users, prisoners, Afro-Americans, Aboriginals, pregnant women, etc. Despite all the fancy language casting HIV into a moral role, it is just a virus- a non-thinking, non-human virus that passes from host to host when opportunity presents.

HIV transmission is definitely influenced by social factors. Line them up: gender inequality, historical and contemporary racism, homophobia, mental health, poverty, economics, laws and social traditions that make relationships unequal and give people unequal power can all contribute to HIV transmission. These are human rights issues that we all need to address if we hope to change the course of the virus.

Looking at the science of HIV – the origins, the manifestation within the body, the treatment – is separate from looking at the human rights issues. But science itself is still a hotly debated issue, as evidenced by creation theories vs. evolution theories. What ties it all together is passion, which can be used in many powerful ways. We have the choice to direct our passions. I for one hope they are directed towards more fairness and equality for all. This includes detailed things like giving comprehensive age appropriate sex education to children. It also includes introducing them to the injustices in which we all operate and what we can do to address them.

The passionate response to HIV gives me hope that we can direct that energy to understanding not only the past, but to understanding what we can do to change the future. Hope you’re in.

- Janet

This was posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 10:00 am and is filed under News . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.

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