WI No HIV?

[anon_user]

How would the world have been affected if SIV never made the leap to humans? Obviously, a lot of people who are now dead would not be. Gay culture in the US (at least) would be rather different without AIDS killing the bathhouses. Biomedical research would've taken somewhat different paths - presumably less research into retrovirals - without the sheer urgency of AIDS. Any other thoughts?

 

[theReturner]

Hmm...maybe condoms would be less mainstream and more unpopular?

Also, Rock Hudson might still be alive. And Roy Cohen might live longer too.

 

[Dr. No]

The superficial ramifications: Blood screening wouldn't be as thoroughly enforced. Condoms would still be an under-the-shelter commodity and not be sold in various men's bathrooms via automated machines. That is before Hepatitis C arrives. Sexual identity questions wouldn't be as discussed in the pbulic. Which has all been discussed some time ago.

The profound ramifications: You'd need to halt any urban development in sub-Saharan Africa. Which is inevitable unless there's a genocidal fuckhead having a sufficient support crowd handy. Breaking African hunters loose of monkeys as fair game will never succeed. Exterminating monkeys and apes also isn't a feasible option.

 

[Francisco Cojuanco]

More "free love", probably, in the First World - perhaps a slightly larger population worldwide, as one argument for using condoms goes away - it'll be seen more for not getting women pregnant than for preventing the spread of deadly disease.