Late last week, hiv experts at the san
francisco department of public health
announced that new infections were
declining in the city, and, as is their
custom, the department didn't make any of
their data about the declining rate
available on the web and no press release
was issued.
The data and release, if such things from
dph were shared, would give the gay
community a better understanding of how
san francisco arrived at the new infection
rate, but transparency has never been a
strong suit of the dph when the issue is
hiv epidemiology.
Instead of giving the gay community access
to the data, we're dependent on the
mainstream and gay press, such as the sf
chronicle, the bay area reporter and the
la times, to obtain dph's data, decipher
it and write up stories explaining the
statistical estimates.
The falling hiv numbers are, in my
opinion, a worthwhile development, one
that should be noted by all prevention and
service organizations, but, so far, not
one such organization has posted an
announcement about the drop on their web
site, nor have they put forward any praise
to the gay community for this decline.
Yes, i'm like an old broken vinyl record,
continually calling for aids groups to
acknowledge hiv infections dropping, and
to give positive strokes of gratitude for
the safe sex behaviors leading to the
decline to the gay community, which could
use all the positive reinforcement
possible to keep infection rates going
down.
Mine is a lone voice requesting hiv
service organizations, the same ones that
are always prepared to wail and moan when
there's even an incremental rise of hiv or
any sexually transmitted disease, not to
mention ready to launch hostile,
aggressive social marketing campaigns
berating gays for lapses in safer sex
activities.
We need people like
you. Good Luck to you.