>I'm taking the summer off before I head to dental school. Yup, I'm leaving the the IT world.

I hope you aren't leaving entirely... at least not UT.

>>I haven't given up on medical technicians, either. I think they do deserve help when they catch HIV, despite their engaging in a risky activity (remember, all these sharp things in the presence of sick people), and despite of them doing it completely voluntarily and for money. The voluntarity clause doesn't apply to 99% of the prostitutes around the world, so I really don't understand why are the victims undeserving of help in their case. Maybe because of the 1% of them who are doing it for fun and money?
>
>So in your mind people who help the sick are same as prostitutes....

No, they just both equally fit your definition of "willingly engaging in risky activity, risking AIDS" (if I remember it correctly) - barring the voluntarity, which is most often absent (the 99% is my estimate) in the latter case. Maybe you would like to amend your definition?

>>>And as far as Brazilians (or anyone else) turning down the money, fine. But why couldn't they have accepted it and help some of their people.
>>
>>Have you ever heard of the words like "dignity", "pride" and "sovereignity"? Or the phrase "nobody will tell us what to do"?
>
>Sometimes foolish pride can kill a lot of people.

Right. For instance, imagine you were fooled about the reasons for war, but you're too proud to confess the blunder, and then just go ahead. Or, you know that our food is dependent on oil (for tractors, transportation etc), but you're too proud to confess that running so many trucks and SUVs is ridiculous, so the end-of-oil will come maybe 50 years earlier than it would, and we've lost the time that could have been used to develop the alternatives - so millions starve to death, but that's in the future, what do we care.

>What were the things that were so degrating that they refused money to help their people? I read the article and couldn't find anything in there that sound degrating.

"You will handle the prostitution the way we say, and you will not tell any of your patients that there is such a thing as an emergency contraceptive pill nor that there is an abortion available, not even if it's across the street, and you have to promise that in writing, or else you don't get a dime; we'll be checking on you". No strings attached.

C'mon.

>If other country(s) want to jump in and help, that's great. What are they doing to help? I haven't heard.

Neither have I - because I've gone quite lazy and gave up on my (once regular) reading of European press. So I, just like you, have only American media at my disposition at this moment, and I wouldn't trust them to find European aid to Africa or South America newsworthy.

>Or are they too busy handing out free condoms, drugs and syringes.

I've heard about these practices, and I've also heard they help in many cases. First, while condoms aren't perfect, they are much better than nothing: they prevent unwanted pregnancy, and even if they probably can't do much against AIDS, they protect from other STDs. Free syringes ensure that at least they won't be shared - so there's one less vehicle of spreading AIDS. And handing free doses ensures that the addicts won't have to rob or kill someone, bust a pharmacy or extort money just to get their regular hit; that they won't OD - they're under control; and (maybe the most important) that the dealer on the corner is out of business for at least that much. Besides, the state has an eye on the regular addicts, they are much more under control, and if they learn to keep their addiction at a certain level, they may even contribute some back to the society - which is still much better than having them imprisoned or just handed over to the gangs. All in all, less power to the gangs, and a few lives saved.

OK, I'm out of my line here - I've never tried drugs, for I had a friend who was treated and came back to normal life, and what he told me was enough for me to stay away from it. Maybe, if once doctors tell me I have about two days left, I may try. Can't do much damage to anyone in that time.