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I was watching "Neighbours" (a daily soap over here) with my 23 y/o female house mate, where there is a story line involving a nurse who gets a needle stick injury from a former prison inmate, and it turns out he has HIV.

And my housemate's first response to his positive status... "So does that mean he's gay?"

I was shocked, and it must have been obvious, so she added "I thought only gay guys got it".

So I told her the facts about HIV, AIDS, and all other STI's and safe sex. (I wasn't polite either).

At 23 and sexually active, she had no fucking idea about safe sex. It's quite scary. How can she be so oblivious? Did her parents ever discuss this with her? Are her friends as clueless as this?

And the cherry on top from her? "I know I don't have AIDS because I had a pap smear last year."

Wow that is scary, I guess she does not follow world news much. The majority of HIV cases in Africa are probably from heterosexual intercourse.

Wow, fancy someone getting an education from watching Neighbours.

It's worrying, because it happened in a progressive country like Australia. However, there is lots of misinformation about HIV/AIDS globally, so she is not alone in her ignorance. There is a belief in Africa that HIV/AIDS can be cured by having sexual intercourse with a virgin girl. You guys can figure out who suffers in the process...

Insane! I thought those "myths" were tarnished in the late 1980s. It's really sad to know that many people out there still believe this way. And they wonder why STD rates are still at such a high level.

WOW. Good thing she has friends like you to set her straight otherwise she'd become another statisitic in no time especially if left to the device of people like Palin and McCain.

Whoa.

Are you sure she didn't just crawl out of a cave or something?

Maybe a pap smear of the brain would help?

Sadly i am not surprised, i have a relative you works in GUM clinics in the uk (and this is just a location, it happens everywhere) and she has people coming into her with no idea that they are pregnant (at 8 months!), have a STD or what contraception even is.

Reminds of a friend that told me, proudly I will add, that she bought an AIDS ribbon to support the gays and their plight. Her boyfriend then piped in that it's not just a gay problem anymore.

Ghen saidReminds of a friend that told me, proudly I will add, that she bought an AIDS ribbon to support the gays and their plight. Her boyfriend then piped in that it's not just a gay problem anymore.

-__________-

straights.... *shakes head*

From researching, the HIV prevalence in Australia looks less than 0.1% and appears that less than 1,000 females in the entire country have it. So how much education really goes into HIV prevention over there?

jakebenson saidFrom researching, the HIV prevalence in Australia looks less than 0.1% and appears that less than 1,000 females in the entire country have it. So how much education really goes into HIV prevention over there?

Enough to make sure that it doesn't spread. Y'know it only takes one and all that.

What a DITZ-BRAIN.

well just be happy that you could get that information to her in time b4 something horrible happened to her. We, as the informed public, have to take every opportunity to pass that information to those that are still in the dark.