Comments on: 42% rise in Irish HIV diagnoses among gay and bi men

By: Paschal

Paschal — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:06:16 +0000

Wouldpeople just have some sense and use protection.

By: Simon Collery

Simon Collery — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:04:14 +0000

Were the baby and four children investigated to see if they were really infected by their mother? For example, may they have been infected by unsafe medical practices? Were their mothers HIV positive and if so, was their virus type matched with their mothers’?

By: fra

fra — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:10:20 +0000

These statistics are confusing and poorly reported, a feature which is all too common across the various media nowadays. The headline of a 42% increase is meaningless unless you know the actual numbers. 42% of 97 equates to 41 men, but if that were 42% of 10,000 then it would be a worrying figure.
The other statistic not shown is how these men were infected, was it through unprotected sex, or were they part of the intravenous drug users? It’s also interesting to note that 4 times as many heterosexual men picked up the virus during this time.
It would be more useful for these stats to show what percentage of the gay, bi and straight population are carrying the virus. This would then give a more accurate risk factor than just quoting meaningless percentage increases which do no more than scaremonger the general population with the risk of inciting prejudice.

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:06:08 +0000

Might just point out that this story is filed under UK News – however Ireland is not in the UK so it should be filed under World News.

These are shocking stats though, having used the sauna in Dublin a few times and seen the crazy amount of barebacking going on, I’m not surprised.

By: Spanner

Spanner — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:29:53 +0000

Pozstudent: You have my utmost sympathies, but you cannot blame the government for not telling you. It’s not like every gay man on the planet knows the risks. I was fortunate enough in the 80′s not to be sleeping around when AIDS hit, otherwise I would have been just another statistic, but in those days nobody knew what the hell it was, and many died before we found out. Today, it is unavoidable, and if you choose to ignore the warnings, then you bring it upon yourself.

I don’t wish to sound judgemental, and we have all made mistakes, but you have to face the fact that this is your fault, and live with that terrible burden.

By: pozstudent

pozstudent — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:08:54 +0000

im poz 8 months and im 22
my mate who is 19 just tested poz few weeks ago
hes bi
im bi
wat pisses me off is the dept of health for the last few years runs these ads on tv “it only takes one sperm to get pregnant” use a condom. why are there no ads run saying young men please use condoms wen ur having sex. it sickens me is it coz they want to bury their head in the sand. and there is a huge glamoisation of unsafe sex or “barebaching” in dublin. ther is at least 2 gay saunas in dublins temple bar area wher u can pay at the door and have hurs of unsafe sex. http://www.bugshare.net is the website that openly encourages unsafe sex too its shameful

By: Spanner

Spanner — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:12:57 +0000

Simon: You still continue this crap straw man argument that just because sub-Saharan Africans are allowed to donate, then we should too. Great idea. Let’s get all the junkies on-board while we are at it. Prat.

What needs to be done is an accurate statistical report of HIV+ people in the UK, broken down into demographics. The highest risk groups should then be denied the chance to donate. If gay men fit that criteria, (which I am certain it would), than so be it. At least then we would have absolute proof that certain sectors would be detrimental to the blood donation program. I just wish people would stop spouting this “homophobic” crap. Would a ban on Africans be deemed racist by the same token?

By: ChutneyBear

ChutneyBear — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:14:05 +0000

Martin M thats a very very good point once you put it like that…

By: MartinM

MartinM — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:42:02 +0000

“Where do this news come from?”

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 97 diagnoses were made in 2008, rising to 138 in 2009.

“Ah. Will the people still demanding that gay men be allowed to donate blood please stand up?”

Stands up.

If you look at those figures you see that 25% of new infections (96 cases) were from people from su-Saharan Africa.

The number of gay men in Ireland vastly outnumbers the number of sub-Saharan Africans.

Yet sub-Saharan Africans are not banned for life from donating blood.

Quite clearly the same rules need to apply.

Either the gay blood ban is modified.

Or alternatlvely anyone who comes from sub-Saharan Africa or anyone who’s EVER had sex with someone from sub-Saharan Africa since 1978 must face a lifetime ban from donating blood.

Either option suits me.

I’m Type 1 diabetic so I’m banned for life from donating blood anyway.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:10:20 +0000

What are the Irish words for ‘condom’ and ‘safe sex’?

By: Shania Smyth

Shania Smyth — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:07:08 +0000

Where do this news come from? I’m new to this site and I don’t hear any of this news from any other sources. I can’t believe that some (NOT ALL) reports have no sources to back-up some of these allegiations! No insults intended on my part. Thanks!

By: Spanner

Spanner — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:54:13 +0000

Ah. Will the people still demanding that gay men be allowed to donate blood please stand up?

Oh, and please mind the elephant in the room that you refuse to see.

By: ChutneyBear

ChutneyBear — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:09:54 +0000

Utter bolloc*s Allan sorry but your comment is…its because us and hetro men and birds are so f***in promiscous!

By: Allan

Allan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:48:35 +0000

Worrying stats. Possibly though not exclusively due to the mass immigration in to Ireland from Eastern Europe and Africa during the past few years.