[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Daniel

My best friend's father had a health emergency last night, so hubby and I spend the evening with our friend- hence- missed the show- and the scoop.

But I know this issue will become more clear in a few days- I'll keep my eyes are ears open for news.

http://www.towleroad.com/2008/01/cdc-clarifies-m.html

In short: totally overblown story.

The CDC notes: "MRSA is a common cause of skin infections throughout the United States. These infections occur in men, women, adults, children, and persons of all races and sexual orientations, and are known to be transmitted by close skin-to-skin contact. In this issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, Diep et al looked at isolates of MRSA - USA300 strains containing a particular plasmid associated with additional drug resistance. The paper shows that multidrug-resistant USA300 has emerged as an important source of disease among men with have sex with men in 2 geographically distinct communities. The strains of MRSA described in the recent Annals of Internal Medicine have mostly been identified in certain groups of men who have sex with men (MSM), but have also been found in some persons who are not MSM. It is important to note that the groups of MSM in which these isolates have been described are not representative of all MSM, so conclusions can not be drawn about the prevalence of these strains among all MSM. The groups studied in this report may share other characteristics or behaviors that facilitate spread of MRSA, such as frequent skin-to-skin contact."

In a seeming effort to quell panic, the CDC goes on to say that the continuing study of these strains indicates that they are rare, and there are still effective antibiotic choices (including those taken orally) available to treat infections, but transmission prevention is still important.

They conclude: "MRSA is typically transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, which occurs during a variety of activities, including sex. There is no evidence at this time to suggest that it MRSA is a sexually-transmitted infection in the classical sense."

Diep's story and hysterical warning that "once this reaches the general population, it will be truly unstoppable" was quickly seized upon by right-wing religious leaders like Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber as the latest threat to the general population from the gay community, and criticized by editors at gay newspapers across the country, as well as one heterosexual female medical reporter who called it "homophobic and looking to paint gay men as filthy carriers of infectious disease, who have too much sex."

You go girlfriend!

And, Salon writes: "When it comes to spreading the bacteria, it is not homosexuals we have to worry about. It is that much wider swath of the male population examined in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the journal, the medical researchers were not studying gays, they were studying the St. Louis Rams. That is correct: football players; in particular, linebackers. 'In our investigation,' the journal noted, 'infection occurred only among linemen and linebackers, and not among those in backfield positions, probably because of the frequent contact among linemen during practice and games.' Those rug burns I mentioned are in fact turf burns. 'All MRSA skin abscesses developed at sites of turf burns," declared the journal.'"

Who would have thought: straight football players have/get the same infection!

There's some poetic justice going on here: according to the homophobes, gay men are supposed to be acting like linebackers.

This issues isn't about gay or straight. It's about keeping youself clean- literally. Soap and water. That's it.