 
December 24, 2008
POZ.com’s Most Talked About Stories of 2008
by Nick Fowler
At POZ, we cover what we consider to be the most important stories for helping you have a long and healthy life with HIV. We highlight the issues affecting people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world. We hope to inspire and empower you with tales of everyday heroes living with—and advocating on behalf of people living with—HIV.
However, it’s your comments that help us best understand whether our stories are hitting home. Which is why we are so appreciative of your feedback. Your candid, articulate and passionate responses give us valuable insight into what matters most to you. And it helps us become aware of new issues and trends.
We read all of your comments, emails, letters and posts on our blogs and take into consideration your opinions as we choose the pieces and people that we feature in each issue of POZ magazine and on poz.com. Thank you for speaking out.
When we looked back at the “most talked about” stories of 2008, a few trends became apparent. You were most likely to comment on articles concerned with issues of injustice and misconceptions. Justice and the truth appear at the top of your list—and ours, too.
Below are the top 10 most talked about stories this year on POZ.com, ranked by the number of your comments.
# 1.
Experts Say Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Are Not Sexually Infectious
News blurb posted on poz.com January 30
The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS stated that HIV-positive people in heterosexual, sero-discordant couples are “virtually not sexually infectious” if their viral load has been undetectable for a minimum of six months and they have no other sexually transmitted disease. The Commission, however, still advocates that people continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current recommendations for HIV prevention strategies.
# 2.
AIDS: Not a Heterosexual Disease?
News blurb posted on poz.com June 9
Kevin De Cock, MD, director of the World Health Organization’s department of HIV/AIDS said, “AIDS should not be a concern for heterosexuals outside sub-Saharan Africa.” He also acknowledged that AIDS should remain at the forefront of public health concerns, with prevention efforts focusing on men who have sex with men (MSM).
# 3.
Diagnosis: Stigma
By Annette Lizzul
“Voices” column from the March 2008 issue of POZ
Lizzul wrote a frank and funny report on both the medical community’s progress in dealing with and understanding people living with HIV, as well as her recent and unfortunate visit to a plastic surgeon who refused to treat her cooking-accident burns because his wife forbade him to treat people living with HIV due to fears that he’d bring “it” back into their household.
# 4.
HIV: Behind the Music
By Kellee Terrell
Feature story from the May 2008 issue of POZ
Terrell interviewed 54-year-old former pop star Sherry Lewis about her life with HIV. Having survived the disease—as well as sexual-abuse, time in a psych ward, and intravenous-drug addiction—Lewis, a self-described “Jewish suburban girl,” is now a voice of female empowerment as the host of podcast Straight Girl in a Queer World, on which Lewis interviews HIV educators, activists, and HIV-positive celebrities.
# 5.
Aging Grace: Facing the Uncertainties of Growing Older With HIV
By David Evans
Web exclusive posted on AIDSmeds.com and poz.com January 29
This web exclusive was a response to “AIDS Patients Face Downside of Living Longer,” a New York Times article published January 6. Evans explores the issue of aging with HIV, acknowledging that while HIV-positive people can face a host of additional health problems as they age—both due to the presence of the virus in their bodies and because of the impact of treatment for HIV—much can be done mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to offset these concerns.
# 6.
An HIV Doc’s Dilemma
News blurb posted on poz.com May 12
This story reported on an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times on May 12, 2008, in which Marc Siegel, MD examines the ethical debate faced by physicians dealing with HIV-positive patients who might be concealing their status while having unprotected sex with negative partners.
# 7.
Magic Johnson Accused of Faking HIV
News blurb posted on poz.com October 10
Morning radio hosts Chris Baker and Langdon Perry accused NBA legend Magic Johnson of faking his HIV-positive status. Baker dismissed the controversy by saying their comments were just “three seconds of radio out of a four-hour show.”
# 8.
HIV-Positive Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Spitting
News blurb posted on poz.com May 15
Willie Campbell, a 42-year-old, HIV-positive, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for spitting in the face of Dallas police officer Dan Waller. The jury deemed Campbell’s saliva a deadly weapon.
# 9.
Condom-Free Sex? Controversial Swiss Declaration
Video interview posted on poz.com February 12
At the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, POZ’s editor-in-chief Regan Hofmann interviews Bernard Hirschel, MD, regarding the above-mentioned statement issued by the Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS that declared HIV-positive people with undetectable viral loads sexual noninfectiousness under certain circumstances.
# 10.
UNAIDS Task Force Fights HIV Travel Bans
News blurb posted on poz.com March 6
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS created a task force to eliminate international travel restrictions on HIV-positive people. UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot stated, "No other condition prevents people from entering countries for business, tourism, or to attend meetings.”
Thanks for a great year! Please keep your comments coming!
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