DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don’t trust tumblr to handle HIV information, it rarely ends well

so, in the early 1980s, many hemophiliacs contracted HIV from Factor VIII, an injected blood product that helps the blood clot. because Factor VIII was made from the plasma of many different blood donors, and because hemophiliacs had to use it frequently, hemophiliacs were at much higher risk of HIV than other blood product recipients.

once this was understood, manufacturers made changes to make the product safe, including heat-treating the existing stock to kill the virus. but one manufacturer, Cutter Laboratories (owned by Bayer), “misrepresented the results of its own research and sold the contaminated [product] to overseas markets in Asia and Latin America without the precaution of heat treating the product recommended for eliminating the risk. As a consequence, hemophiliacs who infused the HIV-contaminated Factor VIII and IX tested positive for HIV and developed AIDS.” (another source)

with me so far?

well, there was a tumblr post about this with many thousands of notes, but because it didn’t explain it well, and because the company involved is Bayer which is best known for its aspirin, and because uninformed fear of HIV makes people panic and not think clearly, tons of people came away from the post thinking that the contaminated product was aspirin and that they should now fear that ordinary oral medicines will somehow give them HIV!

you CANNOT contract HIV from oral medication, or from food. i can’t believe i have to say this, but clearly i do. because as a society we’re at a level of low information and high stigma where we can’t even talk about a corporation knowingly exporting HIV without getting bogged down in urban-legend bullshit like this, and i hate it.

Tldr; Pharma giant bayer is selling a blood product with HIV

no, not “too long; didn’t read”! you should read! this happened in the 1980s; it is NOT currently happening.

and the point of this post is that when we treat HIV issues shallowly, people get the wrong idea and stoke unnecessary fear. so… like this right now. in our environment of low information and high stigma around HIV, this cannot and should not be reduced to a sound bite.

This is the funniest video I’ve seen in a long time

power move: saying “that’s treason” every time someone does something that mildly inconveniences you

Donald Trump ghostwrote this

awfully bold of you to assume trump could spell ‘inconveniences’

starbucks barista: ive got a caffe mocha for… “russian spy”?

everybody: [remains seated and eyes each other suspiciously]

barista [throwing his CIA badge at the floor in defeat]: dammit i thought for sure that would work

Memes that are funny in 2018 and 1958

boulder

Strong motherfucker and Powerful

speaking of vines that we hate, rb this and tag the vine you hate seeing in vine compilations. it’s for science

A Florida man was murdered early Sunday morning defending his gay friends from a drunk homophobe who followed them out of the restaurant where they were eating. 

Multiple witnesses reported that the killer came after the group and shouted, “If we were in my country I’d kill all of you like rats. I hate you damned gays. I’m going to kill you all here.”

The victim, 22-year-old Juan Javier Cruz , was shot dead with a handgun Mena pulled from his pocket after defending his friends.

This is not right that people have to die just because homophobia is flourishing in America.

RIP  Juan Javier Cruz, you are a hero.

Source

Rest in power

May his memory be a blessing.

When people say “It’s 2018, nobody cares if you’re gay or not.” They don’t even know

Have fifteen seconds of hungry chilis.

Mexico legalized same sex marriage too! #LoveWins

first world people better share this im looking at yall

A friend

@papermachedream @hi-fivesoup 

join tumblr

this is what notch saw

graspers

whats he gonna do with those hands

grasp