Former President Ronald Reagan Once Commented at a Press Conference

question 64

Multiple Choice

Former president Ronald Reagan once commented at a press conference that the best way to combat the spread of AIDS in the US was to prohibit everyone from having sexual contact for 5 years. What would be the success of such a program if it were possible to carry out?

• A) It would "cure" the population of HIV/AIDS. Everyone that had it would become noninfectious through medication, and no new cases would occur, since sexual contact is the only mode of transmission for this virus.
• B) It would be a failure. This "program" wouldn't eliminate IV drug use or transmission of HIV from mother to child. Sexual transmission isn't the ONLY mode of transmission for this virus.
• C) It would be a failure. Many HIV positive individuals survive for longer than 5 years, even without treatment. Once sexual contact resumed, sexual transmission would also resume.
• D) It would be a failure. This "program" wouldn't eliminate IV drug use or transmission of HIV from mother to child. Sexual transmission isn't the ONLY mode of transmission for this virus, AND many HIV positive individuals survive for longer than 5 years, even without treatment. Once sexual contact resumed, sexual transmission would also resume.
• E) It would be a success. If no one had sex for five years, the virus would have nowhere to go and would die out. HIV only exists in a person for approximately this amount of time.

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Definitions:

Ambivalent Sexism

A theory that sexism has two primary components: hostile sexism, which is openly negative, and benevolent sexism, which is superficially positive but reinforces gender inequality.

Elements

Basic components or parts of a larger system or substance.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

A belief or expectation that an individual holds that causes it to become true simply because the belief influences behavior towards that outcome.

Social Processes

The patterns of interactions and changes in relationships and societal norms over time.