UN Urges Lift of HIV+ Travel Ban

At the opening of a two-day meeting in the General Assembly of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called for an end to all discrimination against people with HIV or AIDS, including travel restrictions imposed on them by some countries.

“I call for a change in laws that uphold stigma and discrimination, including restrictions on travel for people living with HIV,” he said.

A letter signed by 345 nongovernmental organizations was sent to leaders and ambassadors of concerned countries to urge them to lift the restrictions.

According to UNAIDS, 74 countries place restrictive measures on HIV-positive citizens, including noting the disease on their passports.

Twelve nations prohibit entry to anyone carrying the AIDS virus: Armenia, Colombia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sudan, the United States, and Yemen.

Most of these countries claim there are public-health concerns that justify the restrictions.

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Gay Brains More Like Straight Women

What makes people gay? Biologists may never get a complete answer to that question, but researchers in Sweden have found one more sign that the answer lies in the structure of the brain

What makes people gay? Biologists may never get a complete answer to that question, but researchers in Sweden have found one more sign that the answer lies in the structure of the brain.

Olympic Diver is Out and Proud

The first Australian Olympian to declare his homosexuality, Matthew Mitcham (20) is a favorite to medal in the upcoming Beijing games.

The gold medal hopeful’s journey has not been easy. Those close to him have seen Mitcham, 20, battle depression, retire in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then nine months later resume his sport and build himself into the champion he is today.

One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous journey is his partner, Lachlan.

“We can’t afford for Lachlan to go at the moment,” Mitcham said. “But Johnson & Johnson offer grants to go to Beijing and I’ve nominated Lachlan as the support person I want to go.”

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More photos of Matthew here. Video of his diving below:

U.S. HIV Infection Rate 25% Higher Than Thought

More accurate counting methods have resulted in a revision to the estimated HIV infection rate in the United States. In the past, large segments of society were undercounted causing the number of infections to be undercounted as well, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“The number went up to about 50,000. That doesn’t mean that the actual rate of new infections increased. It means that we are now no longer missing counting the ones that we missed early,” Fauci said. “It was always 50,000 a year.”

In the United States, with a population of about 300 million, some 1.1 million people are infected with HIV, of which 25 percent do not know it. That leaves 770,000 documented cases.

“I have seen some of the data and it is clear. The confusion is that it was increasing when in fact it is better accounting,” Fauci said. “They are counting more accurately.”

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What Gay Marriage Can Teach Straight People

The New York Times has an interesting article today about what straight couples can learn from partnered gays and lesbians. Apparently, gay relationships are much more egalitarian, tend to give both parties greater satisfaction, and are less prone to contain “controlling and hostile emotional tactics.” Read Full Story >>