I looked at the Atlantic article again and saw a link to the study. When I went that online repository, I could read only the abstract. To see the entire text you have to pay to join the site. Without reading the study, we really don't know much about the sample or the methodology. I would like to believe that gay men, as a subgroup, are more educated about HIV than the general public, but that ain't necessarily so: It depends on the gay man. That goes even moreso if you consider the group of MSM, based on the activity of men having sex with men rather than the identity of considering oneself gay.

I thought it might help to post a link to The Stigma Project and also to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thestigmaproject. From their 'About Us' page: "We are a grassroots organization that aims to lower the HIV infection rate and neutralize the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS through education and awareness via social media and advertising. The Stigma Project seeks to create an HIV neutral world, free of judgement and fear by working with both positive and negative individuals from all walks of life, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, race, or background."

Anyhow, there is outreach to the "outliers" and it comes from many groups with many different messages. The individual still needs to make a choice, or sometimes they choose not to choose or their path somehow gets away from their choice.

Taking a quick glance at their Founders and Board of Directors, I'm making a unjustified snap judgement that this is led largely by younger gay men. Younger, in that I'm 54, gay glancing at the photos and bios (though you never know).

I wish I had the time now to write more about what I think the audience for the Atlantic article was and about generational differences in perception and behavior toward HIV. This seems to be different not only for those like me who moved to a place where I could be openly gay when I was young (as opposed to those who had a different cultural identity or self-image) but also different for people of different ages and life experience. In fact, I wish I could write instead of doing my regular work. Oh, well.

All for now. ~ Bob

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