Good OpEd...

 

I don't usually blog about OpEd's.  Most are just rants with little information.  This piece is a welcome surprise.  It's from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  Let's start with this:

OPINION: HIV epidemic won’t end if women are left out of clinical trials...

This article details a reason why the HIV epidemic remains so prevalent.   Little research has been or is being conducted with biological women.  Most HIV research is conducted using subjects that male or born male.  

Of the estimated 38 million people living with HIV around the world, more than half are women. What’s more, AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age.

The author writes about the lack of involvement women have had in medical research.  It's bad for all women, but worse for those of color or living in impoverished parts of the world.  

I've wrote about this before.  When are researchers going to recognize the necessity for the inclusion of actual women in their work?  Until then, medical research has been purposely hobbled.

Cya...

    

Article Issues....

There are a lot issues with blogging over HIV articles.  Finding them can be the biggest problem.  Then there are the repeats, rehashes & the OpEd's.  There are a lot of paywalls.  Which I find offensive when dealing with medical information.  

I guess the most annoying, is the non-article.  A piece that promises something & never delivers.   It's an abstract, too brief or merely the barest brush over of an interesting topic.  I find an example of the latter.  It was a piece over HIV & children's cavities.  It was supposed to make the point that suppression of oral biota was the causal agent not HIV, itself.   The article was too brief to make a good point, to support its argument or deal with the fact HIV is probably what caused the decline in oral biota that led to the cavities.  It could've been a good read.

Finding well written articles isn't easy.  They aren't as common as they were & even less so with COVID happening.   Still, keeping up to date is important when you're HIV+.

Cya...

1st August Wednesday...

Not in the best place this morning.   It's a grey morning in August.   I think this Winter is going to suck for me.   It's the 2nd night without the neighbor's light & the neighborhood is pitch black without it.  Some local asshats were causing a lot of noise until late last night.  I wish seriously bad things on them.  Neither my roomie or myself have felt that good in a bit.  I think it's due to the weather changes, light levels & general ick everyone's dealing with since COVID.  

I read an article about a women from Georgia being charged for not revealing her HIV status to her lovers.  A lot of people will scream  she shouldn't have to reveal her status.  I disagree.  IMO, she committed a serious assault on these people.  However,  they should've insisted on condoms.  If you're infectious, you have a responsibility not to infect.  If you're not infected, you have a responsibility to yourself to remain that way.  Neither are difficult concepts.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

PS - The new Blogger layout is ugly & awkward.

Underway...

The month is underway & the 1st round of household bills has been handled.  The rest will be tomorrow.  I got labs drawn yesterday, what's come back looks normal.  

The cool weather should last a day more, then more hot.  I'm not upset.  Bugs are ramping up already & the grass is green.  Maybe it'll get brighter.  The light levels have been low this Summer.

I had a weird night.  Last night, was the 1st time since I've lived here the house across the street didn't have it's light on at night.  The light is a smaller streetlight, & gave off a lot of illumination.  Without it, the street was pitch. Before, I could see the home all night. Last night, there was just this black void.  I guess they cut the power off.  It was another weird, depressing, unwanted change. Maybe someone will move in soon & the light will return.  Or maybe I just accept that it's another thing gone from my normal.

Cya..

August Starts...

It's the  beginning of the month &  it's bill time.  We'll handle most of it this morning, but some haven't come in yet.  Month's beginning on a weekend throw off some bills.   I need to check on getting my labs drawn for my telemedicine.  We also have to shop this morning.  It's so much fun when things collide.   There's a whole month, but everything wants handled at the same time.

The weather's been nice here for a bit.  That'll end later this week.  Then it's back to Summer.  That's OK, the bugs need driven back & the grass could die off more.  Still, cooler nights have been nice.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Over It...

It's my last month of being 53 & this year has mostly sucked.  I'm still dealing with a lot medical crap due to a stroke, maybe pneumonia & doctor office changes.   I was hospitalized & then thought things were getting better.  Then COVID happened, then asshat riots, excuse me protests, & then stupid rallies.   People wiped out things like toilet paper & cat food.  They were afraid of losing something to wipe with, but won't wear masks, social distance or  cooperate with 1-way aisles at stores.   

This may sound awful, but other than mine, I don't care if most of them fall over dead.  If they can't be bothered to protect themselves, all I can do is take care of me.  We live in a world of clashing storms of idiocy.  The best we can hope for is that they off each other.

I'm tired & this year overwhelmed me.  I doubt I'll be able to anything for my birthday.   I never do much, but even that'll be gone now.  I don't care if these people die.  I just wish they'd do it faster.  I'm tired of their drama.  It's an awful production full of nobodies, has-beens & never-weres.  They've had their 15 minutes, let the curtain drop.  I'd like to enjoy part of my next year.

F'off to those people making this COVID crap last longer.

Cya...

Hello, Goodbye...

July's done & over.  It wasn't a bad, but it was like every other month since March, weird.  Between the COVID stuff, social crap & strange weather, this hasn't been a good Summer.   Goodbye July, maybe next year will go better.

Hello August, I hope you have better things in store for us.  I have to get blood work done this week for a telemedicine appointment later in the month.  It's a standard 6 month meeting.   Schools are supposed to be starting back soon.  I don't know how that's going to pan out. I guess we'll see. 

Take care.

Cya...