This continues to be a day that needs to be recognized as way too many people are still dying from AIDS.I have been very fortunate as I have not lost any loved ones but I know of so many who have.

Thanks for recognizing World AIDS Day, Eddiecat. I'm surprised nobody else has posted on this, but better late than never. I've always admired the tireless efforts of Stephen Lewis to draw attention to the never-ending AIDS crisis in Africa. Here is Lewis' most recent statement and proposals on the subject.

People were discussing teh AIDS issue under Health and Fitness (Why Don't Gay Peopel Talk About AIDS Anymore), but it somehow turned into a discussion of why some gusy don't have cell phones.

I was a little surprised by the lack of discussion myself,Marc.Unfortunately the Fitness and Health discussion did get off topic but the posts about cell phones have been removed.I spent many years of self-imposed celibacy due to my own paranoia about this disease.I am still extremely cautious to the point that it has hindered my social life.I think that's why some guys still take the risks because they can't stand living this way,even if they are playing roulette with their lives as well as others.

I blogged about it and was part of a coordinated group of Black and Latino bloggers who linked to each other. In general I feel like people just don't want to talk about HIV/AIDS these days. 40 million people have it, millions more will seroconvert, especially in Africa, South Asia, East Asia (China specifically), the Caribbean, and Central Europe (where it's a severe problem in Russia). Even in the United States, though infection rates have gone down, men who have sex with men, straight women and children are still getting infected (and there's a correlation with STD rates), so it's not something we can overlook.

Eddiecat, I know you've heard this 1,000 times, but I have to say it: you can have a lively and full social and sexual life and still practice safe® sex. Condoms really do work in the vast majority of cases, and there are many forms of safe sex. An AIDS educator on this site might be able to offer you places to check out online, but I did want to say that it is possible to have fun and be safe at the same time.

thanks fantomas.I am pretty much aware of all those things but there are some personal,emotional issues as well to deal with.I'll be just fine.