32 votes

Moderna begins HIV vaccine trials

11 comments

  1. TavisNamara
    Link
    This is genuinely the best part of the entirety of the mRNA stuff, and the true legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. The testing that was able to be done across the pandemic has enabled them to get so...

    This is genuinely the best part of the entirety of the mRNA stuff, and the true legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. The testing that was able to be done across the pandemic has enabled them to get so much to work with and the new vaccines they'll be making for this are... Just spectacular. If these and others work out, it's going to be incredible.

    19 votes
  2. [10]
    elcuello
    Link
    Holy shit. If you grew up in the 80s-90s this is fucking huge if it works. Almost makes me emotional. So it's been almost 40 years and this stigma is still going strong or am I missing something?...

    Holy shit. If you grew up in the 80s-90s this is fucking huge if it works. Almost makes me emotional.

    Only time will tell whether this vaccine will succeed where others have failed — but we’ll be praying, crossing our digits, and wishing on every star that by next year, LGBTQ+ communities around the globe will have a new reason to celebrate.

    So it's been almost 40 years and this stigma is still going strong or am I missing something? Seems like everybody should have a reason to celebrate.

    14 votes
    1. [3]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      them articles are written by and for members of our community, so I don't think furthering that old stigma was the intent of that statement.

      them articles are written by and for members of our community, so I don't think furthering that old stigma was the intent of that statement.

      Samantha Riedel is a writer and editor whose work on transgender culture and politics has previously appeared in VICE, Bitch Magazine, and The Establishment. She lives in Massachusetts, where she is presently at work on her first manuscript.

      them, a next-generation community platform, chronicles and celebrates the stories, people and voices that are emerging and inspiring all of us, ranging in topics from pop culture and style to politics and news, all through the lens of today’s LGBTQ community.

      7 votes
      1. [2]
        elcuello
        Link Parent
        Well, there you have it. Thanks!

        Well, there you have it. Thanks!

        4 votes
        1. cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          No worries. But as someone who did grow up in the 80s-90s I appreciated seeing you being so cognizant of and on guard against that issue though. :)

          No worries. But as someone who did grow up in the 80s-90s I appreciated seeing you being so cognizant of and on guard against that issue though. :)

          7 votes
    2. [5]
      teaearlgraycold
      Link Parent
      Isn't it factually true that men that have sex with other men are far more likely to contract HIV than most other people? Someone on HackerNews made the same point but the actual stats are quite...

      So it's been almost 40 years and this stigma is still going strong or am I missing something?

      Isn't it factually true that men that have sex with other men are far more likely to contract HIV than most other people? Someone on HackerNews made the same point but the actual stats are quite surprising.

      Edit:

      Random CDC Page says 70% of new HIV infections in 2019 were among gay/bisexual men.

      4 votes
      1. kfwyre
        Link Parent
        Yup. Male-male sexual contact remains the highest transmission method for HIV by far. Anyone can get HIV but gay/bi/pan men are a demographic that has been (and in many ways continues to be)...

        Yup. Male-male sexual contact remains the highest transmission method for HIV by far. Anyone can get HIV but gay/bi/pan men are a demographic that has been (and in many ways continues to be) defined by it. That’s what makes this news so potentially celebratory for people like me. This vaccine is the potential for freedom from something that decimated our community and has haunted us for decades ever since.

        9 votes
      2. [2]
        elcuello
        Link Parent
        Yeah I know that but to keep singling these groups out every time HIV is mentioned isn't doing anyone a favor. Either you protect yourself or you don't. There's no middle ground no matter if you...

        Yeah I know that but to keep singling these groups out every time HIV is mentioned isn't doing anyone a favor. Either you protect yourself or you don't. There's no middle ground no matter if you belong to a group of people that's less likely to be infected or not.

        And @cfabbro had a good explanation above in the context of this article.

        2 votes
        1. papasquat
          Link Parent
          I think it makes sense to highlight an issue in the context of a group that's disproportionately affected by it. For instance, rape culture is often framed in the context of a women's issue. Yes,...

          I think it makes sense to highlight an issue in the context of a group that's disproportionately affected by it. For instance, rape culture is often framed in the context of a women's issue. Yes, men are raped as well, but it's an issue that disproportionately affects women, so it kinda makes sense to focus on them.

          This is doubly true for HIV. 70% of new HIV infections is already disproportionate, but when you consider that only around ~1.5% of the population are gay/bisexual men, HIV is an issue that can be almost entirely framed as one affecting men who have sex with men. The culture reflects that. Modern gay culture is deeply entwined and shaped by the AIDS crisis.

          4 votes
    3. kfwyre
      Link Parent
      I choked up a bit when I read the headline. I sincerely hope it works.

      Holy shit. If you grew up in the 80s-90s this is fucking huge if it works. Almost makes me emotional.

      I choked up a bit when I read the headline. I sincerely hope it works.

      3 votes