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It's crazy to think about how HIV has killed some ~32 million people, and yet we rarely hear about it anymore. COVID probably won't even hit 4 million deaths (b

It's crazy to think about how HIV has killed some ~32 million people, and yet we rarely hear about it anymore. COVID probably won't even hit 4 million deaths (barring some much deadlier variant that we can't easily produce a new vaccine for).

monoideism 6y ago
Yeah, but that's > 3 million over 12 months vs 32 million over 40 years, the majority before 2010. AIDS was a huge deal back when there was no treatment for it.
- Trasmatta 6y ago
  Right, I don't mean to downplay the severity of COVID at all. It's just interesting that we generally don't hear a lot about HIV/AIDS anymore, even though there were still 690,000 deaths associated with it in 2019. I also realize that probably depends largely on where you live.
  - retsibsi 6y ago
    > I also realize that probably depends largely on where you live. Yeah, I think this can largely be explained by the usual tendency to focus on our own backyards. Google says 'nearly 13,000 people with AIDS in the United States die each year', and I assume the rate is similar in other wealthy countries. Even if we assume the full total is causally attributable to AIDS, that's significantly less than the usual toll from flu, which we also tend to treat rather casually (which isn't to say that we should).
  - jfengel 6y ago
    The treatments for HIV are incredibly effective, if you can afford them. It can even reduce your viral load to undetectable. There is a campaign that Undetectable=Untransmittable, to reduce the stigma associated with it. I have to admit I don't know if I'm comfortable with having unprotected sex with someone who had the virus, but the data says it's safe. There is also pre exposure prophylaxis, which isn't a vaccine but does dramatically reduce the risk. Between the two, the disease just isn't the problem it used to be -- assuming you can afford it. In poor counties it's still a problem.
  - XorNot 6y ago
    HIV is not a proximity transmissible disease so the reality is it's well controlled anywhere you've managed to get the use of barrier contraception methods into widespread adoption. And at the end of the day if it can't spread through casual contact then it's impact on wider society will be limited once it's understood.
  - astura 6y ago
    HIV is only transmitted during the exchange of bodily fluids. Beyond that, we learned to treat it extremely effectively, today if someone who is HIV-positive adheres to their antiretroviral therapy they have a normal life expectancy.
HPsquared 6y ago
We heard about it a lot when it was new and unknown. Now it's better understood, not so much.
gher-shyu3i 6y ago
Because any attempt to address the underlying cause of spread of HIV will be deemed as homophobic or backward in today's culture.
- blueline 6y ago
  You’re right, that worked super well when Reagan gave it a go
Izkata 6y ago
Also tuberculosis, which kills 1-2 million people per year.

monoideism 6y ago

Yeah, but that's > 3 million over 12 months vs 32 million over 40 years, the majority before 2010. AIDS was a huge deal back when there was no treatment for it.

Trasmatta 6y ago
Right, I don't mean to downplay the severity of COVID at all. It's just interesting that we generally don't hear a lot about HIV/AIDS anymore, even though there were still 690,000 deaths associated with it in 2019. I also realize that probably depends largely on where you live.
- retsibsi 6y ago
  > I also realize that probably depends largely on where you live. Yeah, I think this can largely be explained by the usual tendency to focus on our own backyards. Google says 'nearly 13,000 people with AIDS in the United States die each year', and I assume the rate is similar in other wealthy countries. Even if we assume the full total is causally attributable to AIDS, that's significantly less than the usual toll from flu, which we also tend to treat rather casually (which isn't to say that we should).
- jfengel 6y ago
  The treatments for HIV are incredibly effective, if you can afford them. It can even reduce your viral load to undetectable. There is a campaign that Undetectable=Untransmittable, to reduce the stigma associated with it. I have to admit I don't know if I'm comfortable with having unprotected sex with someone who had the virus, but the data says it's safe. There is also pre exposure prophylaxis, which isn't a vaccine but does dramatically reduce the risk. Between the two, the disease just isn't the problem it used to be -- assuming you can afford it. In poor counties it's still a problem.
- XorNot 6y ago
  HIV is not a proximity transmissible disease so the reality is it's well controlled anywhere you've managed to get the use of barrier contraception methods into widespread adoption. And at the end of the day if it can't spread through casual contact then it's impact on wider society will be limited once it's understood.
- astura 6y ago
  HIV is only transmitted during the exchange of bodily fluids. Beyond that, we learned to treat it extremely effectively, today if someone who is HIV-positive adheres to their antiretroviral therapy they have a normal life expectancy.

HPsquared 6y ago

We heard about it a lot when it was new and unknown. Now it's better understood, not so much.

gher-shyu3i 6y ago

Because any attempt to address the underlying cause of spread of HIV will be deemed as homophobic or backward in today's culture.

blueline 6y ago
You’re right, that worked super well when Reagan gave it a go

Izkata 6y ago

Also tuberculosis, which kills 1-2 million people per year.