Here We Go Again...

You may have seen this picture or something similar recently. This, as I understand it, is a photo of the new staph strain that appears to be completely drug-resistant. Many articles have been appearing on the net, but so far I haven't seen that much coverage on the national news nor the political arena.

According to an article on npr.org, the drug resistant restrain has been noticeably apparent among gay and bisexual men, due to the high numbers of sexual partners and questionable sexual practices. It's cropped up in San Fransisco, Los Angeles, New York, even Boston. Sporadic cases were noticed six years ago, but now the number seems to be on a sharp incline. Across the country, a few men have died. Does any of this sound familiar?

It should. The problem is, it doesn't seem to be hitting home. I suggest reading And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts. This pattern seems to, terrifyingly, correlate directly tot the early days of the HIV/AIDS plauge that afflicted America most noticeably in the '80's. Then, as now, early cases were underreported and doctors' cries went unheeded. Unsafe sexual practices continued to rage on. Taking the fact that this new strain appears to be concentrated among the gay population, appears to be spread through sexual contact, and carries with it a risk of death, we are faced in the seemingly same predicament as we were some thirty odd years ago. My how soon we forget.

However, it should be noted that it's not the same. There are several factors that we have going for us. The first is that simple soap and water may prove to be the best way to inhibit the spread. The second is that we, as a community AND a country, have gone through something like this before. Wiser heads may prevail. Finally, we have something that the 1980's didn't have: the Internet. Already, the information is spreading in a wonderfully efficient way. We already know about the infection, and interested parties are probably already taking heed. Medical personnel can spread information more quickly, providing more efficient treatments. In short, we know that we can survive. Hopefully, though, we do more than just survive...we help those, gay, straight, bi or asexual for all I care, to relieve the pain and find a cure, or at least a treatment.

Please take some time to read this article, it's very informative: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18086925

Sincerely,
Your Spy