HIV has been a disqueting bug in the back of mind for a while. The contrast between the healing abilities of surrendering your self to your sexuality, and the worlds that exists when one is infected is something that I haven't been able to come to good terms on. Over the past couple of years, I've made it something of a personal interest to follow developments around it.
Biopeer is reporting on HIV vaccination trials in Kenya and Zambia. These trials bring up an interesting perspective of medical ethics: the only way to test these vaccines is to vaccinate a whole bunch of people with other wise risky behavior and see if the catch HIV. Since it's double blind, if you receive a shot, you don't know if it's placebo or an actual vaccination -- I wonder if people participating in the trial will fully grok the distinction.
As interesting is the approach of using Recombinant Viral Vectors as a method of vaccine. If this works, then your vaccination would involve catching a cold and getting an immunoresponse in order to fend off HIV.
This topic has recently been brought more to the forefront in by having J in my life. J has been diagnosed HIV positive (along with her soon to be born second child) -- acquired in subsaharan Africa. Interacting with her has been a good experience - if nothing else, we share similar outlooks on sexuality, and a generally positive outlook on our capabilities to heal ourselves.
As a sidenote, J recently gave me a beautiful tapestry of Ganesha, which is draped over my door as a greeting to visitors.
Posted by Da Mystik Homeboy at May 17, 2006 01:22 AM