The Viral Truth: Making Sense of HIV/AIDS News

I've always been bothered by the fact that heterosexual black men have been kept out of conversations about HIV prevention in the African-American community. A lot can be blamed for this blatant omission, but it's important to point to homophobia and an unhealthy obsession with the down low as major reasons why we haven't included straight black men in the mix.

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Last week on the Late Show with David Letterman, to promote the new Broadway play about their NBA rivalry, basketball greats Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird discussed how their relationship morphed from on-the-court adversaries to best friends. They also discussed the day that Magic disclosed that he is HIV positive.

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So here's the thing: I might have a very slight, teeny tiny, not at all age-inappropriate fondness for the High School Musical (HSM) franchise. And by "might" I mean "definitely" and by "teeny tiny" I mean "Yes, that picture is of my workspace here at TheBody.com, and yes, that is a High School Musical 2 poster hanging above my monitor." I choose to think of this as one of my adorable quirks. I suspect my coworkers might describe it differently, but they can keep their opinions to themselves, thankyouverymuch.

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Another day, another opportunity for our elected officials to completely expose themselves for being entirely out of touch with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country.

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According to the Gothamist article "HIV Positive Protester Says Cop Who Punched Him Should Get Tested," last Friday, an Occupy Wall Street protester was punched in the face by a New York City police officer. The protester, Felix Rivera-Pitre, who is openly gay and HIV positive, told Gothamist, "The cop just lunged at me full throttle and hit me on the left side of my face. It tore my earring out. I remember seeing my earring on the ground next to me and it was full of blood. I was completely dumbstruck. I'm HIV positive and that cop should get tested."

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When most of us think of HIV research, we envision laboratories filled with researchers dressed in white lab coats, mixing concoctions in beakers and viewing specimens through a microscope. It's very rare, when we talk about HIV research, that the people actually living with HIV come to mind. But "Making AIDS History," a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign created by the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), is trying to change that. amfAR is an organization dedicated to funding HIV research and finding a cure.

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This past Sunday, June 5, 2011, news outlets from all across the world commemorated the 30th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. From national news sites, such as CNN.com and MSNBC.com, to high profile newspapers, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, to local newspapers and news stations, there was an influx of reporting on how the epidemic has affected all of our lives over the past three decades.

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As a New Yorker for the past nine years, I have grown accustomed to the ridiculousness called the New York Post. I no longer shudder when the newspaper refers to criminals of color as "thugs," transgender people as "trannies," or exotic dancers as "strippers." I have accepted the fact that journalistic integrity and this Rupert Murdoch-owned publication don't go hand in hand. (Just think Fox News in print.) But Wednesday morning, the New York Post published "IMF accuser in apt. for HIV vic," a story so scathing and stigmatizing that it actually shocked me.

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A few weeks ago, all media hell broke loose when the national news got wind of a Philadelphia, Pa.-based safer-sex campaign that is offering free condoms to teens and tweens as young as 11 years old. While some media outlets did a decent job of reporting on the health initiative fairly, others chose to anchor their stories in the belief that these types of campaigns are morally problematic and encourage teen sex. But regardless of whether the coverage is fair or biased, most articles ran with sensationalized headlines that focused on the "11-year-old" angle.

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A clinical trial investigating the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection among women has been canceled after early results suggested the approach would be ineffective, according to a statement issued by FHI, which implemented the study.

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