Do all gays have aids?

AIDS is an acute immune disorder of the human body, which means that the body is not able to defend itself from various diseases anymore. It is caused by a virus called HIV. The virus is principally carried through blood, sperm, and vaginal fluid. The disease has been known since the beginning of the eighties, and the myth of how it only affects gay men has been around ever since. It is therefore also often branded as the “gay plague”. Fanatics from all political and religious circles do not hesitate to claim that “AIDS is God’s punishment for the sinful life of homosexuals”. However, AIDS makes no difference as to whether someone is homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual.

It is true that gay men belong to a group of high risk. This, however, has nothing to do with their sexual orientation, but with the high risk of infection during anal intercourse – a form of intercourse often practiced by heterosexuals, too. The rate of infection in lesbians is lower. Therefore, science speaks of risk behavior, and not of risk groups.

There are 1 or 2 new infections with the HIV virus in Austria every day. In 2006, almost 42% of the new infections were caused by heterosexual contact, some 20.5% through drug abuse, and 28.6% through homosexual contact. In 2007, there were 420,000 new infection cases in children under 15! At the end of 2007, around 33 million people lived infected with the virus worldwide (according to UNAIDS, and taken from AIDS Hilfe Wien). Only a fraction of these are homosexuals.

The only possibility for protection from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is the practice of safer sex. The most important rule in this case is – never without protection! Men use condoms as protection, women dental dams. This is the only way to prevent blood, vaginal fluid or sperm from entering the body of the partner, regardless of whether the intercourse is heterosexual or homosexual. Any “Aids Hilfe”, as well as any doctor, can help you with more information. They also offer free tests, which are highly recommended.