NP Re: AIDS

[Paul Mackin]

Athough davemarc's public service announcement shouldn't have
been necessary, I commend him for making it.

				P.

----------
From: 	davemarc[SMTP:davemarc at panix.com]
Sent: 	Saturday, June 07, 1997 2:43 AM
To: 	Pynchlist
Subject: 	NP Re: AIDS

> From: Jules Siegel <jsiegel at mail.caribe.net.mx>
> 
> The idea that AIDS is an infectious disease is mostly a very shaky
> hypothesis promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and the
manufacturers
> of the various noxious poisons used to treat it, some of which appear to
> cause the very same symptoms as the sydrome itself.
> 
> >From what I've seen, AIDS is most likely just another classic immune
system
> failure like leukemia, caused by ferocious abuse of legal and illegal
drugs,
> repeated drug transfusions, and the effects of poverty, mainly
malnutrition.
> 
[snip]

>From what I've seen here in one of the AIDS capitals of the New World,
there are other significant "causes" of AIDS besides "ferocious abuse of
legal and illegal drugs, repeated drug transfusions, and the effects of
poverty, mainly malnutrition."  I'd be deeply shocked to discover that any
of the PWAs I've known could have acquired AIDS due to one or any
combination of those "causes."

At this point and on this listserv, it shouldn't be necessary to offer the
following comments, but I'll do it anyway.

The medical assault against AIDS is hardly above criticism.  It warrants
close scrutiny and constructive criticism.  But the standard advice about
AIDS prevention (i.e., have "safe" sex, do not share hypodermic needles)
seems very sensible.   So does the tactic of supporting your local and
international AIDS fighters.  As far as treatments are concerned, there is
much evidence that they're improving.  When making decisions about those
treatments, it's advisable to choose your doctors and advisors with the
same care you would apply to choosing the next book you'll read.  

If someone tells you that you can get AIDS from ingesting large amounts of
aspirin, smoking pot continuously, receiving massive infusions of screened
blood (as opposed to what--dying from blood loss?), or being malnourished,
I'd naturally suggest a little, um, healthy skepticism.

End of public service announcement.  No flamewar necessary.

dialectically davemarc