Is HIV a "gay disease"?Gay activists have spent many years trying to convince the world that HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. shows no preference for any group of people, especially them. So when the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Its clinic and on-site pharmacy offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention. launched a new public-service campaign in L.A. declaring that "HIV is a gay disease," it turned more than a few heads. "This is a disease of the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. , and defining it as belonging to one high-risk group has not been very helpful in the past," said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a non profit, Los Angeles-based AIDS treatment and advocacy center. Their official founding pledge is to "provide cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay. . "There's no value in having it owned by the gay community. It belongs to all of humanity." But Lorri L. Jean, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of the center, said the ads, which have appeared in gay bars and local gay publications since September, were also supported by many HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome service providers. "HIV is a gay disease," she said. "It's also a black disease, a Latino disease, a youth disease, a senior's disease, and a women's disease. But in Los Angeles it's overwhelmingly a disease of gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities." Phill Wilson, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Black AIDS Institute, said anything that gets people talking is a good thing. His group will soon debut its own advertising campaign with the tagline "AIDS in America is a black disease." "Nobody fights an enemy that they can't identify," he said. "We're engaged in a real war, and we have to take risks. If the campaign generates conversation, shakes people up, and gives AIDS the attention it deserves, then it's worth the effort." |
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