A website has been unveiled by the Los Angeles County health officials which will facilitate the sending of e-mails to keep people informed of HIV and other related diseases. The site called, inSPOTLA.org is meant to check the spread of the diseases, and encourage safe sex. The site is targeted at people seeking casual sex on line.
A similar site launched in San Francisco in 2004 has resulted in as many as 20,000 e-mails. The inSPOT site is planned to be launched in Philadelphia, Seattle, and Indiana in 2006. An amount of US$ 14,000 has been invested by Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in this effort, and another US$ 8,000 annual spending is planned. The site will also contribute towards early testing for the diseases.There are also chances that those who wish to play pranks can make use of the system. The rate of risky behavior is expected to come down if a person comes to know if he is infected by HIV, which will serve to prevent the rapid spread of diseases. People will also be more careful about choosing their sexual partners.
The use of Viread, also known as tenofovir, an anti-HIV drug is increasingly becoming popular among gays, as they believe that it will serve to prevent HIV infection while having unprotected sex. Research is still going on to find out if the drug can really prevent the onset of the infection.
Where Asia and Africa are concerned, research is being conducted to find out if sex workers can be protected through the use of the drug. There is as yet no evidence that it will prevent infection, and those who use it instead of condoms run the risk of contracting HIV. Experts on the subject are of the opinion that Viread may be used along with condoms. The drug is also being recommended by doctors who encounter patients who refuse to use condoms. A survey of gays is expected to be conducted in 2006 to find out the number of people who use the drug instead of condoms.
