HIV Called "Gay Disease"

It appears that the dictionary of political correctness may have to be revised.

From SacBee.com:

One of Southern California's most influential gay institutions has launched a controversial ad campaign that describes HIV as a "gay disease."

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's departure from 20 years of countering the idea of AIDS as a gay plague is designed to reach gay men who have grown complacent about the illness.

The message "HIV is a gay disease" and the tag line "Own It. End It" will appear on billboards and in magazines.

Controversial? I would guess it's inflammatory. Since the onset of HIV infections in the early 1980s, homosexual advocates have adamantly maintained that it's not a gay disease and all segments of society are at equal risk. Statistics, however, indicate otherwise.

In Los Angeles County, about 75 percent of HIV cases are among men who have had sex with other men. But nationwide, gay and bisexual men account for about half of recent HIV transmission, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Unfortunately, AIDS/HIV has been primarily political in nature and less of a public health issue. It needs to be handled as a public health problem.

It's probably safe to assume that at least some members of the gay community will protest the campaign.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.