jin@hropus.UUCP (Jerry) (02/20/86)
I know this is irrelevent to net.jokes but the original article was cross posted there and I consider it my duty as an AIDS volunteer to educate... This quote is taken without permission from the 15 Feb 1986 issue of Science News (page 101): "Anthropologist Uli Linke of the University of California at Berkely suggests in the Jan. 17 _Science_ that the practice of clitorodectomy may provide an explaination [of the heterosexual transmission of AIDS in Africa]. Areas in Africa where part of the female genitalia is ritually removed correspond to the areas of the epidemic, she says. After some types of clitorodectomy, vaginal intercourse can cause bleeding, and anal intercourse is often substituted. Either practice, notes Linke, could encourage spread of the virus." I intend to read the original article or letter shortly and will post any additional info to net.med and net.motss. Incidently, what does motss mean or stand for? Jerry I Natowitz ihnp4!houxm!hropus!jin The Master Baker
rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (02/22/86)
Sounds like anthropologist Uli's search for the missing link (to connect weird AIDS with normal heterosexuality) has taken refuge in "spurious correlation." The geography of African AIDS is probably coterminous with other blood vectors as well, ie, presence of human blood in indigenous religious rites, etc. Medical opinion considers that these vectors may enhance the epidemic but believes, on the basis of the evidence so far in hand, that the primary vector for African AIDS has been vaginal intercourse between female prostitutes and their itinerant male clients. Anal intercourse is apparently fairly rare in such encounters (they've interviewed prostitutes and clients). Recently, some US doctors announced the first corroborated case of vaginal transmission of AIDS in this country. Ron Rizzo
jtk@ihlpl.UUCP (Kitteredge) (02/22/86)
> I know this is irrelevent to net.jokes but the original article > was cross posted there and I consider it my duty as an AIDS volunteer > to educate... > > This quote is taken without permission from the 15 Feb 1986 issue of > Science News (page 101): > > "Anthropologist Uli Linke of the University of California at Berkely > suggests in the Jan. 17 _Science_ that the practice of clitorodectomy > may provide an explaination [of the heterosexual transmission of AIDS > in Africa]. ... > After some types of clitorodectomy, vaginal intercourse can cause > bleeding, and anal intercourse is often substituted. Either practice, > notes Linke, could encourage spread of the virus." > > I intend to read the original article or letter shortly and will post > any additional info to net.med and net.motss. Incidently, what does > motss mean or stand for? > > Jerry I Natowitz Thanks for this article; it is fascinating, if only preliminary hypothesis. I have often wondered how women could pass on AIDS during sex, if it is true that the virus is found in large quantities in semen and blood. Motss stands for "Members of the Same Sex." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- John Thomas Kittredge
johansen@agrigene.UUCP (02/24/86)
> > Thanks for this article; it is fascinating, if only preliminary > hypothesis. I have often wondered how women could pass on AIDS during > sex, if it is true that the virus is found in large quantities in > semen and blood. > I read in a recent article on "Orgasm" in Discover magazine (or one of the clones) that the vaginal lubricant produced during arousal in women is simply 'filtered blood serum' ie, blood cells are removed. This would probably not remove the virus. How this enters the mans body in significant amounts is another question.
beth@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (JB) (02/25/86)
In article <1715@bbncca.ARPA> rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) writes: >Sounds like anthropologist Uli's search for the missing link >(to connect weird AIDS with normal heterosexuality) has taken >refuge in "spurious correlation." The geography of African >AIDS is probably coterminous with other blood vectors as well, >ie, presence of human blood in indigenous religious rites, etc. >Medical opinion considers that these vectors may enhance the >epidemic but believes, on the basis of the evidence so far in >hand, that the primary vector for African AIDS has been vaginal >intercourse between female prostitutes and their itinerant male >clients. Anal intercourse is apparently fairly rare in such >encounters (they've interviewed prostitutes and clients). >Recently, some US doctors announced the first corroborated >case of vaginal transmission of AIDS in this country. I quote below an excerpt from an article entitled "Prostitutes: victims or scapegoats of the AIDS crisis?" which appeared in the February 20, 1985 issue of _Windy_City_Times_-_Chicago's_Gay_And_Lesbian_Newsweekly_ (reprinted without permission): Male to male transmission of AIDS is well documented and because of this male prostitutes are a proven high-risk group. However, the jury is still out on female prostitutes. Female to male transmission of AIDS is not so well documented. A recent medical study reported in the _American_Journal_of_Medicine_ said female to male transmission of the disease is unlikely and not much of a risk. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta said of approxi- mately 16,000 AIDS cases, only one percent are heterosexual. That amounts to about 160 people. The CDC also said that of the 160 cases, 90 percent are women who have contracted AIDS from men. Only 20 men, said the CDC, have contracted AIDS from women, and of these 20 cases only one case is thought to have been from a female prostitute to a client. Out of 16 *thousand* cases of AIDS in America, only *20* are confirmed transmissions from female to male. If experts in Africa have good reason to believe "that the primary vector for African AIDS has been vaginal intercourse between female prostitutes and their itinerant male clients", then clearly something is seriously different between there and here. And the various mutilation practices and bloody religious ceremonies sound worth investigating. -- --JB ((Just) Beth Christy, U. of Chicago, ..!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!beth) Sylvia says `A real lady never asks: "Was *what* good for me?". ("I'm sorry - I wasn't paying attention.")'
werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (02/27/86)
> I know this is irrelevent to net.jokes but the original article > was cross posted there and I consider it my duty as an AIDS volunteer > to educate... The original article was a story about prostitutes in the 1800s having their virginity surgically restored after each client. How this could migrate into a discussion on AIDS transmission in Africa is just one of those phenomenons of the USENET ... -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner I'll also entertain gifts,knick-knacks,offers of money, & proposals of marriage
rab@well.UUCP (Bob Bickford) (02/27/86)
<BUG?!> > > Motss stands for "Members of the Same Sex." > > > John Thomas Kittredge Funny, I was under the distinct impression that it stood for "More Of The Same Shit" :-) :-) Robert Bickford (rab@well.uucp) ================================================ | I doubt if these are even my own opinions. | ================================================ -- Robert Bickford (rab@well.uucp) ================================================ | I doubt if these are even my own opinions. | ================================================
elt@astrovax.UUCP (Ed Turner) (02/27/86)
A different and more alarming speculation for the widespread heterosexual occurence of AIDS in Africa (and Hatti) with a similar frequency among men and women is a possible insect vector, perhaps some species of mosquito. This was mentioned in a fairly recent issue of SCIENCE. I think it was also put forward to explain a geographically and temporally concentrated group of AIDS cases in a small Florida town in a swampy area. It certainly sounds plausable to my inexpert ears. Does anyone know any more about this? Ed Turner astrovax!elt
vause@ncrcae.UUCP (Sam Vause) (03/01/86)
In article <710@well.UUCP> rab@well.UUCP writes: >> Motss stands for "Members of the Same Sex." >> John Thomas Kittredge > Funny, I was under the distinct impression that it stood for > "More Of The Same Shit" > :-) :-) > Robert Bickford (rab@well.uucp) Despite the dual smiley-faces, I still can't begin to fathom the humour. Perhaps this form of humour (sic) belongs elsewhere. Perhaps nowhere. -- |------------------------------------------------------------------| |Sam Vause, NCR Corporation, TOWER Systems Development, 3325 Platt | |Springs Road, West Columbia, SC 29169 (803) 791-6281 | | ...!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!ncrcae!vause | | ...!ihnp4!leopard!ncrcae!vause | |------------------------------------------------------------------|
roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger Klorese) (03/03/86)
In article <710@well.UUCP> rab@well.UUCP (Bob Bickford) writes: ><BUG?!> > >> >> Motss stands for "Members of the Same Sex." >> >> >> John Thomas Kittredge > > > Funny, I was under the distinct impression that it stood for > > "More Of The Same Shit" > > :-) :-) > > > Robert Bickford (rab@well.uucp) >================================================ >| I doubt if these are even my own opinions. | >================================================ Well, let's certainly HOPE not... -- *** Speak for the company? Naaaah, it's hard enough speaking for ME! *** ... "What were you expecting, rock'n'roll?" Roger B.A. Klorese Celerity Computing, 40 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701, (617) 872-1772 UUCP: seismo!harvard!bu-cs!celtics!roger, ucbvax!sdcsvax!celerity!celtics!roger ARPA: bu-cs!celtics!roger@harvard.ARPA, celerity!celtics!roger@sdcsvax.ARPA
rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (03/04/86)
<followup to Beth Christy & others> Or the apparent lack of female-to-male sexual transmission of AIDS in the US may simply be an effect of the virus' long latency and the particular American subpopulations (gay males, IV drug users) that AIDS has first reached. Not long ago, some medical opinion doubted that male-to-female sexual transmission of AIDS was possible or very likely. If semen is a vector, then the (visible) presence of blood isn't required for transmission. Many sexual encounters cause some physical trauma to tissue, & perhaps (microscopic) hemmorhaging. The trans- mission condition for most STDs is contact of mucose membranes. I don't think many cultures in the rain forests or rift valleys of central Africa, the possible origin point of AIDS, practice cliterodectomy. I still think that anthropologist Uli Linke's conjecture says more about the psychology (anthropology?) of nervous Western populations facing AIDS than it does about the disease itself. Regards, Ron Rizzo
pamp@bcsaic.UUCP (pam pincha) (03/13/86)
I just ran across a letter in Science concering theoriginal letter by Linke (Science,Jan.17,1986). The refuting letter by Mike Burton (Dept.Anthro.,Univ.ofCal.,Irvine 92717) is in Science,Mar.14,1986,vol.231,p.1236. I'm posting the letter for the information of those interested in the speculations this message has generated. At this point, those not interested should use the old "n" key. --------------------------------------------------------------- AIDS AND FEMALE CIRCUMCISION " Uli Linke's letter (17 Jan.,p.203) about AIDS in Africa suggests that contact with blood during intercourse may be an indirect consequence of the African practice of female circumcision. It then describes an extreme and rare form of female circumscription -- infibulation. Infibulation is found only in a part of northeastern Africa (1), outside the region where AIDS has been reported,and is very different in its social and biological effects from the kind of female circumcision that is practiced more widely in Africa. A secondary problem with the logic of hypothesizing that AIDS is transmitted by traditional custom is that in Africa it appears to be primarily an urban disease, as it is in the United States. Traditional customs, such as female circumcision, have their origins in the rural sector. I think it would be more productive to look at data pertaining to life in African cities and to examine such phenomena as male labor migration, often described as being disurptive to marriage and family life." References: (1) Hayes,R.O.,1975,American Enthnology,vol.2,p.617. ---------------------------------------------------------------- My personal feeling is that Burton's recomendation for study is more viable. Linke's hypothesis is too tenuous for my way of thinking. P.M.Pincha-Wagener