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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyNovember 20th, 2007
Between the first reporting of a new “cancer” that was appearing in young gay men in 1981 and the discovery of HIV in 1984, there was a lot of speculation about why some men were getting sick and others were not.
One of the popular hypotheses was that the use of poppers (amyl nitrate, an inhalent that gives the user a rush) was the reason. With the discovery of HIV and further research into its methods of transmission, the poppers discussion was dismissed as nonsense.
Now, more than 20 years later, a study seems to confirm that early guesswork:
Researchers found that gay men who inhaled poppers during unprotected anal intercourse had a significantly increased risk of being infected with HIV. The investigators think there are two reasons why poppers are implicated in HIV transmission. Firstly, they facilitate longer and ‘rougher’ sexual intercourse; and secondly, poppers could increase biological susceptibility to infection, either by suppressing immune function or increasing uptake of body fluids.
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Tracy Hooper
November 20th, 2007
It’s not the poppers, they don’t cause AIDS or any other thing. It’s the UNPROTECTED receptive anal sex. Barebacking is the culprit not poppers.
Poppers, alcohol, Viagra, and other substances are not the cause of AIDS — it’s unprotected sex.
Wear a condom!!!
Jim Burroway
November 21st, 2007
Yes, it’s the unprotected sex that’s causing AIDS. I don’t think Timothy’s post disputes that.
But there’s cause, and there are relative risks. And there’s been a body of research which shows that there are several factors which can INCREASE the risk of unprotected sex. Being uncircumcised, for example, increases the risk of already risky behavior. And the same, possibly with poppers.
Suricou Raven
November 21st, 2007
“Being uncircumcised, for example, increases the risk of already risky behavior.”
Im not so sure of that… I know of two seperate studies that made this claim, but both of them have been heavily criticised on the correlation-not-causation ground.
One just looked at statistics, referenceing circumcision rates and new HIV diagnoses… but the high-circumcision countries also had a high proportion of muslims, and varying degrees of islamic law, which meant very low prostitute populations and little unmarried sex. The low-circumcision populations were much more lax. So, correlation not causation.
Another actually circumcised a lot of men, then monitored how many were infected for a while afterwards compared to a control population – this was the one that was cut short because the results were so amazing, the researchers felt morally obliged to circumcise everyone. But critics quickly pointed out that men who have recently been circumcised are going to be having little if any sex for some time afterwards due to the pain and the time needed to adjust to their newly-shaped bodies without embarassment – and that the researcher’s motivations were called into question, as they prematurely ended the study before enough data was gathered to show how much of the miracle prevention was caused by the temporary reduction in sexual activity.
quo mark II
November 21st, 2007
Jim,
‘It’s the unprotected sex that’s causing AIDS.’ I somehow suspect that you don’t literally mean that.
Timothy Kincaid
November 21st, 2007
Suricou Raven,
If I recall correctly, the results were in excess of a 60% difference and the length of recovery time wasn’t adequate to explain such a significant drop. And unless I’m mistaken, the only criticism came from anti-circumcision activists and HIV-deniers.
But if there are other criticisms that came from within the AIDS research community I’d be happy to entertain them.
atothek
November 22nd, 2007
Poppers causes cancer, unreversable liver- nephritic- and lung-damage and cauterizes your airways. Further it makes your body unresistant against infections of all kinds.
Stay-away of this junkie-shit!!
atothek
November 22nd, 2007
I forgot the brain damage, sorry
atothek
November 22nd, 2007
.. and it´s genotoxic!
atothek
November 22nd, 2007
Isnt it true that inhalation of poppers makes you hight and you don´t longer care about safer sex?
Suricou Raven
November 22nd, 2007
I am by no means a professional scientist, so I dont consider myself properly qualified to judge the validity of otherwise of a study. Even so, when scientists mid-way through a trial just abandon it, and then claim that they have found a way to reduce HIV infection rates so easily, I am suspicious.
Hank Wilson
November 23rd, 2007
Poppers can be a compound risk:
1. immunosuppressive – increasing susceptibility of infection if exposed to HIV
2. disinhibiting – increasing the likelihood of riskier unprotected sex
3. dilating blood vessels – increasing the likelihood of HIV entering the body
hppc://www.poppers.cfsites.org
has a bibilographies of published research for your evaluation.
More research is needed and warranted by the high prevalence of poppers use An education campaign is needed to counter balance the ongoing disinformation and promotion campaign by the poppers industry.
Hank Wilson
Tracy Hooper
December 3rd, 2007
Most research claiming poppers were dangerous was done by zealots with an agenda against poppers, or with other personal agendas, and the studies they performed were all flawed (http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/hank_wilson_references/)
But, when some of those same researchers actually controlled the dosage in their studies, there was no harm whatsoever. (http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/aids_researchers_disgust_/)
Leading AIDS experts have said over and over “Poppers are not the cause of AIDS”, or KS: http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/cause_of_aids/
What’s most telling is that after 200 years of this stuff being around, and after almost a half century of people (gay and straight — this is not a purely gay drug) sniffing poppers to enhance sex, there have been no credible research results to prove they’re dangerous if inhaled.
There’s no basis in fact to make the claim poppers are immunosuppressive. They simply do not increase susceptibility of infection if exposed to HIV. Studies have shown they do not.
Poppers don’t disinhibit anyone to the extent they’re going to do anything they weren’t already going to do. The studies have consistently shown that those who engage in risky sex are prone to do it no matter what they are doing. Not using poppers would have no effect on their decision-making. Using alcohol, meth, marijuana or other substances may, however.
As for dilating blood vessels which then lets the HIV enter the body, that makes no sense. The size of the AIDS virus is very small. It enters the body mainly via unprotected anal sex, where the skin has been rubbed raw. The size of blood vessels is irrelevant. This kind of misinformation is what confuses people. When they read it or hear it, they’re turned off by the message and dispute anything else they may hear. Information should be credible. We’re smart enough to listen and make decisions, but if the info is goofy, it’s discredited.
The bibliographies Mr. Wilson mentions have been disputed and discredited over and over. Here’s one example: http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/hank_wilson_references/
Mr. Wilson may want more research, but poppers have been studied to no end with the same results: no harm.
Having said that, education is a good thing. But it needs to come from credible sources with accurate information. One needs only to look at the Wikipedia page on poppers (see the discussion page) to see that Mr. Wilson is a virulent anti-popper zealot who is, himself, the source of much disinformation. I’m not sure where the popper ‘promotion campaign by the poppers industry’ is going on, but Mr. Wilson has waged a huge anti-popper war on Wikipedia for years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppers)
To stop the spread of the HIV virus you must rubber up!! Wear a condom if you’re going to engage in anal sex! It’s that simple.
In fact, for most people who use poppers, they enhance the sexual experience so much that they can even enhance sex with condoms, making condoms more acceptable to some who resist wearing one because they think that sex feels less satisfying with one on.
TH
gary mills
November 8th, 2008
Tonight I used poppers just for fun. It was the 5th time over a 10 day period. About 2 hours after using it- i tried to go to bed as it was late. When I tried to lie down I could not breathe- my lungs seemed to be be getting only 1/4th of the air it needed. I expereienced severe anxiety attacks and could not breath fast enough. Then, the coughing began. Non-stop coughing. Poppers are evil. It messes up the lungs and I am scared to death. If I do not get better within a few hours I will be going to the emergency room for relief.
beth johnson
January 20th, 2009
I was introduced to poppers for the first time early yesterday morning. I had not even heard of it. I was sooo drunk outta my mind. The guy i was hanging out with just pulled it out and started sniffing this small bottle at first i thought he was crazy and then I sniffed and kep sniffing. I guess i didn’t sleep very long but i have felt bad all day and we did use protection. Ever since i have been researching this poppers side effects and when i seen sudden death it made me call poison control. My head is still hurting pretty bad and i keep sneezing. I have been drinking water cause im way past hungover but i feel a tad better not much more. Will this horrible feeling ever go away?
Tony Sanderson
October 20th, 2010
To Gray:
Try REAL GOLD, the golden bottle then you will not cough. I have the same problem, RUSH causes bad cough but REAL GOLD does not. I have no idea why, can anyone share some insights?
Thanks.
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