What's Up

     As each day passes, new developments in Aids research are being
reported. The latest drug that appears to be promising comes from
researchers in New Zealand. The drug, HRG - 214 is being credited
with significantly reducing the viral load in 90% of the 200 patients in
a cliniclal trial. The difference between HRG - 214 and other drugs is
that is that it is administered intravenously, every day, for 28 days.
HRG - 214 builds the bodies immune system rather than attacking
the AIDS virus directly. The doctors who were instrumental in
developing the drug intend to seek approval for it from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administtration.
     Are some people immune to HIV infection? An article published in
the September issue of the Journal Science seems to indicate so.
Researchers studying 1880 people at risk for infection found that 600
of them did not contract the virus. It seems that caucasians have a
genetic mutation that conferred total immunity in one in one hundred
whites, and resistance in progressing to AIDS once infected, in one in
five whites. Researchers were barely able to find the mutation known
as CKRS, at all in African Americans. While contacting the AIDS virus
is no longer the automatic death sentence that it once was, there is
absolutly no excuse to participate in unprotected sex. Studies indicate
that the younger generation of Gay men are continuing to have
unprotected sex, Do they think that they are invincable? Do studies
like the New Zealand study bolster thier thoughts that "it can't happen
to me?" One only had to have been in Washington D.C. in October to
view the Memorial Quilt in its entirety to realize how many of our
community have sucumbed to this desease, and the Quilt represents
only a fraction of al the bright, young, talented people that have been
taken from us.
     The conventionly held theory that Gay youth are at three times the
risk of commiting suicide, as thier straight counterparts is being
shattered by a Canadian study that suggests that Gay and Bisexual
young men are 13.9% more at risk for attempting suicide. Those
of you who have access to the Internet can get the complete study at:
http://www.virtualcity.com/youthsuicide/
or, if you are reading this online just click on the above link. Duh!