Category Archives: AIDS

Evan Bayh in Need of Aid After Making Distasteful AIDS Joke

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Senator Evan Bayh, Indiana Democrat, aptly demonstrated that no political party holds the patent on insensitivity with a joke on AIDS that fell … uh, short, to say the very, very least.

Here’s the transcript of Bayh making an ass of himself at the 2010 Indiana Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner, courtesy of Bilerico:

So I’m walking through the airport and people were kinda being nice and making eye contact and a couple come up and say hello. This one person runs up all excited and I’m prepared to say “Hello,” and he says, “Senator Bayh! Senator Bayh!”

I said “Well, yes?” and he looked at me and said, “Do you have AIDS?”

[audible gasps]

I said, “Huh?”

He said, “Yeah. Do you have AIDS?”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say.

He said, “I’ve got a letter I want to give you, do you have someone I can hand this to? Do you have an aide with you?”

I guess I’m of two minds here. First, I’m pretty disgusted that a politician would come out and say such an offensive thing in public. I mean, is the guy stupid? Clearly a crack like this would bring on some heat, not to mention have the opposing political party cackling with glee as they archive this as “fodder for future campaign ads.”

However, I am also a person easily annoyed by the over-PC mindset omnipresent in the U.S. today when you have to watch everything you say and do. The days when I could tell a class full of freshman that I liked to spend my weekends with Harry Wong (he’s an education guru and author, so I meant reading his works on weekends) are over. I have to think ahead when I’m teaching to make sure I don’t inadvertently say something offensive. There is always someone that will be upset or offended by something people say, which is really kind of sad.

I don’t see how Evan Bayh could have missed the really hurtful nature of his joke. I mean, either he’s a complete moron or he’s unspeakably insensitive. Neither conclusion is good for a politician with aspirations.

Well, either way, one thing he is claiming to be is sorry.  Bayh states:

“Look, I’ve voted for AIDS funding and all sorts of things. And I’ve been for all sorts of things in terms of equality and lifestyle and that sort of thing. I’m sorry they took offense to that. It was certainly not intended … I was taken by surprise. I did not interpret it as a negative statement.”

So is this a harmless joke, or is Evan Bayh the latest politician to coin a phrase (“Read my lips: no new taxes,” “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky,” and so on) that will come back to bite?



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Lifestyles Condoms Go Crazy With Their Selections: This is Big!

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LifeStyles has just announced the release of its new KYNG condom for, uh, bigger deals. Or something.

According to press release distribution site PRNewswire, the company that brought us THYN and SKYN is now moving on to larger things:

The new KYNG™ condom is designed for the man who needs a fit larger than the standard condom size. KYNG is extra long and extra wide, featuring the brand’s most popular flared shape, and allowing for a more personalized fit. Lubricated for maximum pleasure with a reservoir tip providing extra safety and comfort, KYNG highlights the features and benefits that are most important to consumers. The dynamic gold and black packaging features a subtle crown design, with a contemporary look that will stand out among the competition.

Wow, I can remember when Trojan Magnums were it if you were dealing with something larger than the average bear!

On 2008’s SKYN:

The makers of LifeStyles® Condoms (“LifeStyles”) changed the condom aisle for good in 2008 with the release of SKYN™, the first-of-its-kind, non-latex, polyisoprene condom. “The closest thing to wearing nothing,” SKYN has received rave reviews since its first day on shelves.

And THYN, also brand new along with KYNG:

While KYNG focuses on size, THYN™ is a breakthrough in sensitivity, boasting a condom “so THYN you’ll forget you’re wearing it.” 21% thinner than LifeStyles’ standard latex condoms, the release of THYN also launches a packaging transformation for the LifeStyles brand, featuring a state-of-the-art transparent plastic box that reflects the nature of the product inside.

Condoms have certainly come up in the world since the days when they were one-size-fits-all (and allegedly occasionally “ribbed for her pleasure”, which in my humble opinion didn’t make a bit of difference). Companies like LifeStyles, Durex, Trojan, and Playsafe are clearly making an effort to address the needs of the many, whether it’s a sensitivity concern, a possible latex allergy, or … well, size.

I dated a very well-endowed young man at one point. After we parted ways, I had a few Magnums left in my bathroom cabinet (they sat dormant next to the “classic” Trojan-ENZ for quite awhile). Some time later, I was entertaining another gentleman and the need for a prophylactic reared its head.

I grabbed a couple of rubbers, not even paying attention to the different-colored wrappers. The man in question, a very analytical person — and a virgin, if you can believe it — became very inquisitive about the difference between the white and green wrapper and the yellow one (I can’t believe I remember the colors). I hesitantly tried to explain, and it got very awkward as we proceeded to have a conversation about what constituted the need for a Magnum versus the regular … Is there a particular measurement requirement? Should guys even measure? What happens if you use a Magnum when you should be using the regular (and, I suppose, vice versa)?

Well, according to PRNewswire:

Fresh on the heels of recent studies showing that condom users are more likely to report breakage, slippage, and a decrease in pleasure due to improper fit, LifeStyles is increasing size options with the KYNG condom, expanding the LifeStyles size-range from Snugger Fit™ to KYNG™.

As a woman, I’m all for a reduction in breaks and slipping (not to mention that decrease in pleasure mentioned above). I just wonder if this is opening a can of worms that might be better left closed …

I mean, realistically, what man is going to choose a Snugger Fit™ over a KYNG™ … and what woman is going to want to be in the position of saying, “Dude, you’re really sweet, but you’re more a Beyond Seven than a Magnum?”



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AIDS-Infected Man Pleads Guilty to Sex With Uninformed Women

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A 47 year-old Indiana man has plead guilty to two felony charges of having sexual intercourse with women whom he did not inform that he was infected with HIV or AIDS.

Approximately 26 women are now at risk of contracting the disease.  The man, Tony Perkins (Psycho anyone?), who is a repairman in Greenwood, Indiana, was taken into custody after an ex-girlfriend phoned law enforcement officials and called him out on his heinous behavior.  She also informed police that she had been receiving death threats from Perkins in the weeks leading up to his arrest.

As of today, none of the women tested for the disease have come up positive, but the disease can often remain dormant for years at a time.

Perkins, who was jailed this week, maintains his position that he used a condom each and every time he slept with a woman after finding out his diagnosis.  Even though he has plead guilty, Perkins states that his guilt is enormous and has claimed that he stopped taking his medications two years ago in hopes that he will shrivel up and die.

Perkins is currently incarcerated and awaits sentencing in April.  I wouldn’t be too hasty in making a decision if I were the courts … Lord knows he may have already condemned another woman to a life sentence herself.



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Concerns Over Spread of HIV at This Year’s World Cup

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According to a recent CNN.com article, there is much apprehension about whether the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be a “public health disaster.”

Approximately 500,000 soccer fans are anticipated to visit the country for the Cup, and 46% of South African sex workers were found to be HIV positive in 2005. “And where there’s demand there will be a supply,” said Eric Harper, director of the Cape Town-based Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT). “It could be a potential recipe for disaster both for the clients and the sex workers.”

Harper told CNN that there are probably about 3,000 sex workers in Cape Town alone, and by the UN’s numbers, South Africa has more HIV positive residents than any other country — approximately 5.7 million people.

In addition to the spread of HIV, Harper is worried about other health risks, like STIs and unintended pregnancies, as well as “the ever-present threat of violence and rape.”

Prostitution laws are currently under review in South Africa, and Harper “believes decriminalizing prostitution can help control the spread of HIV.” That, he says, would be the main way of actually reaching sex workers to provide them with protection and the power to decline clients who refuse to use it.

The legal status of prostitution in South Africa is not actually expected to have a chance of changing until 2011, according to CNN, although a “temporary amnesty” is a possibility. However:

Julian Seedat of the South African National AIDS Council, which advises the government on HIV and AIDS, is also expecting an increase in prostitution during the World Cup, but he is more optimistic about the health implications.

“I don’t think the World Cup will necessarily bring an increased risk of the spread of HIV,” he told CNN.

Seedat says the country has worked to educate sex workers, that free AIDS tests are readily available, and it is not uncommon to see a sex worker with a “big bag of condoms.” Still readers: What do you think? Harper sounds like he’s got everyone’s best interests at heart to me.



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