Science: Health: AIDS and HIV
AIDS-free communities   (+5, -22)  [vote for, against]
volentary AIDS-phobic areas.

This proposes to establish AIDS-free communitees, with rigorous testing.

At most, these communities should occupy an area no bigger than 2 miles radius, and each such community should be at least 50 miles apart. Members can go in and out, non-members must stay outside. Everyone who lives in these communities signs an agreement to having their blood tested every two months(usually when they donate it). If they come up positive for HIV, they are evicted. Other risky behaviors, such as intravenous drug use, etc, will also result in evictions.

Some jobs will exist within the community perimeter-restaurants, shops, etc, but most community members will have to seek jobs outside the community boundary. I realize this is discriminatory, but the impact on AIDS-afflicted people should be relatively low.

In return for agreeing the to rigorous testing regime, they recieve certain benefits- lower rents/prices for living space, or other such things, whatever the community founders can afford to put in place, or scrounge up via donations.

The culture of AIDS awareness and heavily encouraged blood donation, should lead to vibrant communities. The excess donated blood should benefit the areas immediatly outside the communities.

In effect, instead of quaranteening the people with AIDS, this volentarily quaranteens people WITHOUT aids.
-- Madai, Apr 29 2005

(??) AIM Quarantine http://www.aim-med.org/Quarantine.html
[zen_tom, Apr 29 2005]

This was somewhat baked in the Californian pornographic film industry - see link.
-- zen_tom, Apr 29 2005


Having them all live together is somewhat arbitrary if they are allowed to leave. What's the point of all this - a place for the irrationally AIDS-phobic? Who would donate to such a silly cause?
-- Worldgineer, Apr 29 2005


People who watch too much TV News.
-- contracts, Apr 29 2005


I wouldn't donate to setting up such a community in the USA, but if they set one up in South Africa open to both blacks and whites, I'd consider it worth supporting. Swaziland would be another good location. Most other countries with a 10%+ infection rate need more political stabilization, however.
-- Madai, Apr 29 2005


Didn't [evilpickels] have the inverse of this only today? Where is that one?
sp. "quarantine" "voluntary" "communities"
-- TolpuddleSartre, Apr 29 2005


/What's the point of all this/ - FREE LOVE! This community would essentially be one big bathhouse.
-- bungston, Apr 29 2005


that link is freaky, how is it that u know to look there zen_tom? should i expect to see you in a film or two?
-- benfrost, May 01 2005


So if any of your friends with AIDS want to visit your house you would shut your doors and call the police? Maybe you would let them in and the neighbors would call the police.

Oh wait, I forgot, people with aids are bad and have no redeeming qualities so you would never be friends with that sort of person.

I find it interesting that no one has tried to explain to this guy that using only one aspect of a person to totally characterize him is idiotic.

He thinks that non-aids people will form vibrant communities? Because they are better people? Oh and please, do notice that he wants donations from the outside world to pay for this. Because all of us normal people will think of these people like priests and want support them.

I also notice he never explains WHY.
-- RBStimers, May 01 2005


//using only one aspect of a person to totally characterize him is idiotic.

I would happily use the word evil rather than idiotic
-- goatfaceKilla, May 01 2005


He, funny name there [goat]; evil and why indeed?
-- zeno, May 01 2005


This is not a good idea, to say the least. I can't remember who said it, but someone here said that in the Halfbakery idea=invention, not idea=idea.

Did I get that right?
-- froglet, May 01 2005


Right, I say.
-- reensure, May 01 2005


There have got to be many better solutions to the problem.
In areas of epidemic, periodic testing required to renew personal documentation might help aid detection and in a small way help to curb the epidemic, but I still think there are probably better ways.
Maybe the local news could have a color schemed risk meter similar to the US's terrorism threat meter indicating epidemic's strength?
"Today the National Infectious Disease Control Board has changed the risk state from red to orange, but they still would like to remind everyone that orange still indicates use of condoms regardless of your trust in sexual partners." The constant reminder of epidemic & risk being the key aid in helping to end it?
Sorry, I'm sure that's still not one of the best solutions, just thinking out loud.
-- Zimmy, May 01 2005


This would probably never be acheived: think 'masking' chemicals...
-- croissantz, May 01 2005


Wow RBStimers, you have a lot of pent-up anger. I can see you *really* dislike this idea. Is there any point trying to defend this idea to you? I suppose not and I have little emotional investment in it.

So little investment, in fact, I do not bother to spell-check :)

However, I do not think people with aids to be worse people than those without--however, they do have certain very heavy costs of living. Meanwhile, it is not being AIDS-free that will make a lively community- it's is the common ground--(a fear of AIDS to a point YOU consider irrational) and the spirit of giving(blood donations) that will build the vibrant community.
-- Madai, May 02 2005


Ok, a couple of things. 1st zeno - I am pretty wrong in what I said, as I leave myself open to the assertion that I have used only one aspect of someone (that he only uses one aspect of someone to characterise him) to characterise him as evil. Which I say is evil. And I`m not evil. trust me.

This is a pretty lame idea though.

I`m sorry, Madai, that you have a //fear of AIDS to a point [I] consider irrational //. All I can suggest is that you buy some condoms / read the literature / see your doctor / don`t have sex / don`t leave the house.

I personally don`t mind subsidising other`s healthcare, but if you really have a problem with certain other`s //certain very heavy costs of living // then maybe suggest segregating other costly patients as well.

As for the blood donation - let`s all get together and donate as much blood as is needed to help the people that need it, that`s a great idea.
-- goatfaceKilla, May 02 2005


I do not have a fear of AIDS. I posted this as a counterpoint to an idea so obviously lame it was already deleted.

I was figuring you guys could gather that from "little emotional investment", but I guess I'd spell it out.
-- Madai, May 02 2005


Too subtle [Madai]. Remember, I'm stupid.
-- wagster, May 02 2005


I think that this is a good idea. I think that everyone has been raised to think that everyone has to win and no one can feel bad.

I am not saying that people with AIDS are bad, but I am saying that I don't want any risk of getting it and I would like to distance myself from people with AIDS.

I have the right to descriminate against such things.

AIDS is a lifelong and severe disease and I have a right to not be exposed to it.

For all of you who are freaking out about this person's idea... Fucking relax.

Just because you like everything in your head to be "Politically Correct" does not mean that that is the way that the world opperates.

Will it make you feel better that you were "p.c." if you end up with AIDS someday?
-- twinkletoes1218, Mar 20 2008


/some kind of swinger community? / there you go. I agree that twinkletoes has a god-given right to swing with whomever he or she wants to, and if they all live in close proximity that will save on gasoline.

I think this [Madai] desgined 7 or 8 different types of swinger communities for the halfbakery. You need to read between the lines.
-- bungston, Mar 20 2008


(I've clearly been going to the wrong half-cons)
-- Worldgineer, Mar 20 2008


I hate to break it to you [Madai], but aids tests cost money. Also, there are many other kinds of STD's besides just aids that could potentially get into your communitty unless you tested for them and those cost money too. In South Africa, I'd bet even a viscous mosquito bite would be enough to do you in and give you some kind of scary disease. [-]
-- quantum_flux, Apr 04 2008


Although I do feel discrimination based soley on carrying or not carrying HIV is a bit ... uncouth, I do, however feel that quarantine, albeit futile, would be a good idea. This AIDs-free community seams to be something like a quarantine, so I would say it has some credence. The question I have is: What is the motivation for such a community?

If you are envisioning a 2mi radius orgy of decadence and debauchery then I would say: Shame on you. You are trying to propogate the same poor-choices that have caused this epidemic in a risk-free invironment, at the expense of the exclusion of those who have incurred the inherent effect of those same poor choices.

If your foremost concern is health, then why stop at AIDs? AIDs may be, ****on the whole****, indicitave of promiscuity/sexual deviance, but there is so much more behaviour condusive to wretchedness than just promiscuity. Why not a settlement of strict puritanesque code of conduct, comprised of willing members relocated to an area that would grant them the religious/idealist autonomy they desire?
-- MikeD, Apr 04 2008



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