I came across an article on a report about HIV infections in London. I’m taking things out of order when I quote here, but it gets the point across…

“What we have discovered is that some of the spread [of HIV] occurred in bursts, with groups of people becoming infected within a short period of time.”

“The tightness of clusters that we have found is frightening.”

…many men who became infected with the virus passed it on within a few months, often before they themselves had been diagnosed as HIV positive.

…the study findings indicated that the safe sex message was “not getting through”

“If we can find out how and where these clusters are occurring then we could target the appropriate groups.”

“It is important that information on the virus is available to gay men in the local areas where they are known to meet, to try to arrest the spread of HIV and AIDS.”

…bars and nightclubs could be targeted, as could the Internet.

While these researchers mean well, the flaw in what they’re saying is that if the guys don’t know they’re infected when they’re spreading it, then you can’t catch much of the mini-burst as it’s happening. You can only really spot a mini-burst after the damage is done. And as they pointed out, general safe sex messages are not effective.

It’s hard to say what will work. Perhaps compiling a list of sexual partners when someone is diagnosed and then as confidentially as possible contact those partners. I’ve heard of it being done, and it’s a bit dicey to do without stepping over the line, but it could be worth a shot.

But I can’t see putting up a sign at a bar saying “someone who recently tested poz spent a bunch of time in the backroom at this bar”. That’s going to lead to the department of health wanting to close the place down. Don’t like that option at all… People know the risks when they get fucked in the backroom of a bar or sex club…

I don’t know how large these “mini bursts” are. But I could see signs going up saying “An unusually large number of guys tested poz last month in this neighborhood. Please be extra careful…”

I don’t have a degree in public health, so can’t say what’s best. But I can say the researchers, while they seem to mean well, have some relatively naive recommendations…