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In Uganda, the average life span of men has fallen to 30 years,
while the average life span of women has fallen to 27 years. (4)
A missionary friend living in Africa reports that there are over
nine million children in sub- Saharan Africa who have lost their
mothers to AIDS, and that one in every four miners working in
South Africa are HIV positive. These statistics were communicated
to me by E-mail from Vern Tisdalle, a missionary stationed in
Johannesburg, South Africa. It is estimated that by the turn of
the century the epicenter of the epidemic will have shifted from
Africa to Asia. Indian health authorities currently estimate that
"as many as 20 million or even 50 million Indians will be
infected by the year 2000, and that there will be more AIDS patients
than hospital beds". (5) On June 1, 1996 Reuter's News Service
reported that Dr. William Blattner of the Institute of Human Virology
at the University of Maryland estimated that 100 million people
will be HIV infected by the year 2000. (6) In both Asia and Africa,
HIV infection (AIDS) is primarily a heterosexual disease, while
in Western nations the illness is found almost exclusively among
homosexuals, IV drug users, and more recently among heterosexual
blacks. Why is there such variance between the continents? There
are several possible explanations. Dr. Max Essex, Director of
the Harvard AIDS Institute, has reported that the predominant
subtype of the virus found in Western nations is HIV-I: subtype
B, whereas in both Asia and Africa the predominant subtypes are
C and E. Dr. Essex believes that the Langerhans cells which line
the vagina and oral cavities are the primary sites for HIV infection.
In laboratory experiments using Langerhans cell cultures, investigators
have discovered that HIV I: subtype B is only minimally infectious
to LH cells, whereas subtypes C and E are highly infectious. This
study may explain why we find heterosexual spread of HIV infection
in Asia and Africa where subtypes HIV I: C and E predominate,
but only rarely in Western nations where subtype B is found. It
is presumed that homosexuals and IV drug users contract HIV I:
subtype B readily because of their lifestyles involving needle
sharing and rectal sex. (7) Dr. Essex's work, however, does not
explain the heterosexual epidemic developing within black America
today. This aberration may be explained by studies which have
found that certain genetic factors predispose blacks to HIV infection.
Researchers have recently identified two mutated genes in some
whites that are not found in blacks; these altered genes protect
their hosts from HIV infection. There may well be other yet unrecognized
genetic factors which confer complete or partial immunity to whites,
but these factors have yet to be identified. (8,9)
Shortly after the year 2000 blacks will make up the majority of
new HIV infections occurring here in the United States. (10) That
supposition is reflected in statistics released by the Department
of Health in Virginia in 1996. Because of the 10-year latency
period between HIV infection and immunodeficiency, AIDS statistics
reflect the status of the epidemic 10 years ago rather than what
is happening today. Virginia's current AIDS statistics suggest
equal numbers of blacks and whites infected while HIV statistics
reveal that 64% of recent infections are among blacks while only
31.8% are among whites. These figures become even more frightening
when one reflects that blacks make up only 22.6% of Virginia's
population. (11)
What most people do not realize is that all efforts to utilize
public health measures to slow spread of the HIV epidemic have
been thwarted. Why?
(A) Because
most people don't understand what is happening,
(B) Because many who do recognize the unfolding tragedy have been
threatened and are afraid to speak out, and,
(C) Because both public health officers and physicians have been
effectively blocked from introducing the public health measures
needed to stop further spread of this modern-day plague. (12)
(A) Randy
Shilts, author of "And The Band Played On" recognized
this fact when he wrote: "The bitter truth was that AIDS
did not just happen to America - It was allowed to happen by an
array of institutions, all of which failed to perform their appropriate
tasks to safeguard the public health ... There was no excuse,
in this country and in this time, for the spread of a deadly new
epidemic." (13)
Why is this happening? Tragically, most Americans do not understand
the magnitude of the epidemic because our print and TV media have
been selective in reporting matters dealing with the epidemic.
I know that from first-hand experience because I and many of my
cohorts have been thwarted in our efforts to disseminate the truth
about the magnitude of the epidemic. I have recorded that story
in my book "AIDS:The Unnecessary Epidemic", published
in 1991 by Covenant House. An interesting study in thought control
in America today is to try to acquire my book via regular distribution
channels.
In recent years several other books have been published which
have, in my opinion, presented misleading information about the
epidemic. Tragically, that misinformation has discouraged introduction
of the public health measures needed to save human lives. In 1990
Regnery Gateway published Michael Fumento's "The Myth of
Heterosexual AIDS". In that book, Fumento assured his readers
that there was no possibility of heterosexual spread of AIDS here
in the United States. Noting that the epidemic had not exploded
within the white, heterosexual community as feared, Fumento crafted
a convincing tale belittling those of us who wanted to introduce
public health measures to block further spread of the disease.
In his book, Fumento accused me of "iceberg-theory terrorism"
because during the early stages of the epidemic I expressed fear
that HIV disease would spread into the general heterosexual population.
(14) As time has gone by I have publicly modified my view, but
to the best of my knowledge Michael Fumento has never recanted
his message that no public health measures were needed. During
the early stages of the epidemic, we were both wrong. I erred
on the side of caution; Michael Fumento erred on the side that
insists that preventive health measures were not needed to stop
the epidemic. The tragedy unfolding in both Asia and Africa today
reflects the apathy engendered by the misinformation disseminated
during the early 1990s. I sincerely believe that the lives of
hundreds of thousands of homosexuals, IV drug users, black heterosexuals
and black children could have been saved had public health measures
been introduced at that time. Had measures been introduced in
Asia and Africa, hundreds of millions of lives could have been
saved. That, however, was not to be. (15). In 1994 Inside Story
Publications released "Why We Will Never Win the War on AIDS"
written by Brian Ellison and Dr. Peter Duesberg. Dr. Duesberg
insists that there is no AIDS epidemic, and that most of those
who are assumed to have died from AIDS have actually succumbed
to the complications of drug usage, sexual stimulants, and AZT.
(16) An updated version of Dr. Duesberg's book was republished
by Regnery Publishing Inc. in 1996 under the title "Inventing
the AIDS Virus". Both books contended that:
[1] "in most individuals suffering from AIDS, no virus
particles can be found anywhere in the body" (17)
[2] "retroviruses do not kill cells" (18)
[3] There are no scientific studies to document any relationship
between HIV infection and immunodeficiency (19)
[4] Kimberly Bergalis was perfectly healthy before she was given
AZT (20)
[5] HIV-infected hemophiliacs and transfusion recipients do not
die from immunodeficiency but rather from their hemophilia and
other diseases. (21)
A number of other questionable arguments were presented in a clever
and convincing manner in Dr. Duesberg's book, and they swayed
many people. After all, why would Dr. Duesberg, a world-famous
retrovirologist, make such statements if they weren't true? Let
me respond:
[1] Clinicians presently chart the course of HIV disease by measuring
the numbers of viral particles present in peripheral blood.
[2] Because the HIV retrovirus routinely kills normal T cells
in the laboratory, special resistant lines of T cells must be
used to culture the retrovirus: This information was confirmed
by telephone conversation with Dr. Donald Francis in August 1996,
and with the chief of the CDC virology lab in Atlanta, Georgia,
in February 1996.
[3] There have been a number of published studies documenting
the relationship between HIV infection and terminal-stage immuno-
suppression: (22,23)
[4] Kimberly Bergalis was severely immuno- compromised, contracted
pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and had a CD4 count as low as 41
before she was started on AZT. This information was obtained from
Kimberly's college medical records which were graciously provided
to me by her father, George.
[5] Both Ellison and Dr. Duesberg ignore the fact that hemophiliacs
and transfusion recipients who have died have virtually all manifested
the classic, clinical picture of terminal- stage immunodeficiency.
(24)
A detailed
analysis of Dr.Duesberg's arguments and his agenda is beyond the
scope of this article. That subject is covered in my HIV-Watch
newsletter, and in my monograph, "The Population Control
Agenda". Unfortunately, Dr. Duesberg's books have convinced
many otherwise sincere people that there is no reason to institute
standard public health measures to control further spread of the
epidemic. (25)
(B) Why have people been afraid to speak out? I personally know
of physicians, medical personnel and politicians who have had
their professions ruined simply because they dared to comment
publicly on the mishandling of the epidemic. On one occasion two
public health officers approached me stating: "We want you
to know that we support you and what you're doing, but we can't
come out publicly because we've been threatened." That pattern
of intimidation has been commonplace since the inception of the
epidemic. The story of the threats and intimidation utilized to
silence concerned professionals is also covered in "AIDS:The
Unnecessary Epidemic". (26)
(C) For centuries epidemics have been stopped by identifying the
infected, and preventing them from transmitting their illness
to others. In the case of HIV disease it would have been relatively
simple to have blocked further spread of the epidemic in the mid-1980s
when the HIV blood test became available. That, however, was not
to be. Even before the blood test was released in May of 1985
there were forces organizing to block the introduction of standard
public health measures to control further spread of the epidemic.
Virtually all necessary public health measures have been precluded
because of those efforts. (27,28)
The precedent for public health management of a sexually transmitted
disease epidemic was established by Surgeon General Thomas Parren
during the syphylis epidemic of the 1930s. Had physicians been
allowed to introduce the public health measures needed in the
mid-1980s we could have stopped further spread of the plague.
What should have been done?
[1] Physicians should have been instructed to carry out routine,
non-mandatory, confidential HIV testing on all office and hospital
patients.
[2] Mandatory reportability of the names of the infected to public
health officials should have been instituted to facilitate contact
tracing, compilation of accurate statistics, and identification
of those who were intentionally spreading their illness.
[3] Mandatory premarital, prenatal, and neonatal HIV testing should
have been introduced to save the lives of sexual partners, unborn
and newborn children.
[4] Infected prostitutes should have been identified and removed
from our streets.
[5] Houses of prostitution, gay sex clubs and bathhouses should
have been closed.
[6] Nationwide treatment programs for drug addicts should have
been introduced.
[7] Education should have stressed chastity and morality rather
than instructing our youth how to put on condoms and lecturing
them on aberrant sexual activity.
Tragically,
almost all efforts by concerned public health officers and physicians
to address the HIV epidemic have been thwarted. I know from personal
experience because for over a decade I led the battle within the
House of Delegates of the California Medical Association to introduce
the public health measures needed to stop the epidemic. Year after
year the physicians voted to introduce effective public health
measures, and year after year those within the hierarchy and the
bureaucracy of organized medicine worked to block implementation
of those policies. That tragic story is also chronicled in my
book "AIDS:The Unnecessary Epidemic".
Men and women of conscience are not relieved of their moral responsibility
to speak out concerning the manner in which this epidemic has
been handled simply because it has failed to involve the white
heterosexual population of America. In my opinion, almost everyone
who acquires this disease today does so because of our nation's
failure to implement the public health measures necessary to block
further spread of the illness. I sincerely believe that men do
become accomplices to those tragedies which they fail to oppose.
Failure to speak out in times of moral crises makes cowards of
men, and these days we live in are surely times of great moral
crisis.
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