The Sex Issue

When AIDS was first named -- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome -- its transmission routes, or even whether it involved a specific pathogen, were mysteries. We know now that it an infectious disease caused by a virus most commonly transmitted through sex. The existence of a sexually transmitted, potentially deadly virus has affected the sexuality of everyone on the planet, and produced major upheavals in how societies and cultures perceive and talk about sex. Groups that rarely discussed sexual behavior were finally forced to address it.

After their diagnosis, most people with HIV eventually return to the sexual arena, and the fantasy that they will have sex only with other people with HIV remains just that. Only by acknowledging the sexual needs of people with HIV, and by viewing their sexuality as more than simply a vector of transmission, will we ever effectively address prevention issues.

On a personal note, this is my last issue as Editor-in-Chief of ACRIA Update. After eleven years, I've resigned my position as Executive Director of ACRIA. I'm extremely proud of this publication and I'd like to express my appreciation to all the writers who have contributed their expertise and their personal stories over the years.

ACRIA's programmatic activities, both research and treatment education, are as relevant today than at any other time in the agency's 14-year history, and are more far-reaching. I've realized the goal that I set out to achieve. I feel it's time to move on. The accomplishments and successes of ACRIA were possible only through the efforts of the most dedicated and caring staff an executive director is likely to find. With much gratitude, I say goodbye.

J Daniel Stricker is Editor-in-Chief of ACRIA Update.