Thoughts on Frontline's "The Age of AIDS"

I'm watching a PBS Frontline show on AIDS called "The Age of AIDS". It's showing how the world responded to the AIDS crisis. It begins with the first mysterious occurrences of opportunistic infections associated with AIDS and how scientists tried to figure it out. Uganda responded with a prevention program (think it was TOSA but can't find a link). Thailand promoted condom use among sex workers. The UK responded with a needle exchange program.

Meanwhile in America, needle exchange programs were outlawed and Jesse Helms was huffing and puffing on the Senate floor about "Christian" sensibilities being offended because an activist sponsored educational program spoke frankly about gay sex. According to this show, some goofball law Helms shoved through the Congress about not funding AIDS prevention programs that mention homosexual acts is still on the books.

This is why mixing religion into the realms where reason and science should prevail is nuts!

What the heck is wrong with America? Ben Franklin the quintessential American said "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Part Two of this show airs tomorrow.

Categories: American, politics, healthcare, AIDS, religion