4 ms·

The Charlie Sheen effect on HIV testing (2017)

43 points by stevekemp 2y ago

sidewndr46 2y ago
This is kind of remarkable because it means a nearly-unhinged celebrity may have single handedly made a significant contribution to the public health. Of course, what we're really talking about is destigmatization. In the US the initial public response was ostracization, followed by a governmental response doubting if HIV even was a real medical concern
- antigeox 2y ago
  > nearly-unhinged [Meanwhile, on The Internet...] https://www.tiktok.com/@bendover74000/video/7169475558374460718?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@bendover74000/video/7169475558374460...
  - hinkley 2y ago
    He looks like he started a bender two days before this interview and hit a point where he wouldn’t be sober in time to get there and just said fuck it.
  - likeabatterycar 2y ago
    Everyone acts as if Silicon Valley isn't run off of the same stimulant abuse. But because it's snorting crushed pills off a keyboard wrist rest in a cubicle at 3am to get that project over the line, and not described as "banging 7 gram rocks" it's somehow socially acceptable.
    - mistrial9 2y ago
      .. maybe because Silicon Valley is not run on stimulant abuse like that?
      - benatkin 2y ago
        It runs on good food and coffee. Posted from San Mateo. Edit: misread your username as mistral. Nice name to come up with in 2018 =)
  - sidewndr46 2y ago
    I think I was being generous using the phrase "nearly unhinged"
- dehrmann 2y ago
  > nearly-unhinged celebrity I have a theory that they had to cast him as characters named "Charlie" who are PG versions of Charlie Sheen so he doesn't get confused.
- jjmarr 2y ago
  Yep. HIV is a treatable disease, and with consistent medication adherence it can become untransmittable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undetectable_%3D_Untransmittable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undetectable_%3D_Untransmittab... It's a disease that we could eradicate from society over a few generations if everyone got tested and treated.
  - mwood74 2y ago
    Unfortunately even if we could get everyone to be tested, not everyone can take the meds. I had to take a profilact dose after an accidental needle stick when I was a student nurse. The starps box was next to the light switch, and whomever collected the patients blood did not make sure the needle was actually inside the box. That medication made me feel like I was dying, and that was only for a couple of weeks. Newer better meds have come out, but there are always those people that can't take those meds.
stefs 2y ago
For some reason, my first thought was that all those people soght out testing because they all had sex with Sheen.
- TZubiri 2y ago
  I don't think that's too far off, they had sex with people who had sex with him. Or people that were like them.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - LilyFrenchPants 2y ago
    This was me. The LA party scene was wild in the late 2000s. I knew two girls who partied with "Good Time Charlie" and were vocal about it. I partied with one of them so I definitely got tested when I heard the news. LFP
    - illwrks 2y ago
      "partied" :D
      - relaxing 2y ago
        Sex, drugs, karaoke?
    - hn2liberal4me 2y ago
      [dead]

43 points by stevekemp 2y ago

This is kind of remarkable because it means a nearly-unhinged celebrity may have single handedly made a significant contribution to the public health. Of course, what we're really talking about is destigmatization. In the US the initial public response was ostracization, followed by a governmental response doubting if HIV even was a real medical concern

antigeox 2y ago
> nearly-unhinged [Meanwhile, on The Internet...] https://www.tiktok.com/@bendover74000/video/7169475558374460718?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@bendover74000/video/7169475558374460...
- hinkley 2y ago
  He looks like he started a bender two days before this interview and hit a point where he wouldn’t be sober in time to get there and just said fuck it.
- likeabatterycar 2y ago
  Everyone acts as if Silicon Valley isn't run off of the same stimulant abuse. But because it's snorting crushed pills off a keyboard wrist rest in a cubicle at 3am to get that project over the line, and not described as "banging 7 gram rocks" it's somehow socially acceptable.
  - mistrial9 2y ago
    .. maybe because Silicon Valley is not run on stimulant abuse like that?
    - benatkin 2y ago
      It runs on good food and coffee. Posted from San Mateo. Edit: misread your username as mistral. Nice name to come up with in 2018 =)
- sidewndr46 2y ago
  I think I was being generous using the phrase "nearly unhinged"
dehrmann 2y ago
> nearly-unhinged celebrity I have a theory that they had to cast him as characters named "Charlie" who are PG versions of Charlie Sheen so he doesn't get confused.
jjmarr 2y ago
Yep. HIV is a treatable disease, and with consistent medication adherence it can become untransmittable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undetectable_%3D_Untransmittable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undetectable_%3D_Untransmittab... It's a disease that we could eradicate from society over a few generations if everyone got tested and treated.
- mwood74 2y ago
  Unfortunately even if we could get everyone to be tested, not everyone can take the meds. I had to take a profilact dose after an accidental needle stick when I was a student nurse. The starps box was next to the light switch, and whomever collected the patients blood did not make sure the needle was actually inside the box. That medication made me feel like I was dying, and that was only for a couple of weeks. Newer better meds have come out, but there are always those people that can't take those meds.

stefs 2y ago

For some reason, my first thought was that all those people soght out testing because they all had sex with Sheen.

TZubiri 2y ago
I don't think that's too far off, they had sex with people who had sex with him. Or people that were like them.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- LilyFrenchPants 2y ago
  This was me. The LA party scene was wild in the late 2000s. I knew two girls who partied with "Good Time Charlie" and were vocal about it. I partied with one of them so I definitely got tested when I heard the news. LFP
  - illwrks 2y ago
    "partied" :D
    - relaxing 2y ago
      Sex, drugs, karaoke?
  - hn2liberal4me 2y ago
    [dead]