Release me!

This week we had an interesting question of the week regarding the ethical treatment of chimpanzees when it comes to testing HIV vaccines. I further researched into the topic finding some neat facts. The chimp has a 99% DNA match to a human; therefore they are often used for testing human products. However, there is controversial testing of an HIV vaccine on these primates.

“Although HIV can replicate in their bodies, chimpanzees infected with HIV do not become sick with symptoms of HIV or AIDS. Yet, those still pushing for their use have gone to great and invasive lengths – quite outside of the normal progression of the infection in humans – to attempt to force an HIV infection to progress to “AIDS-like” symptoms” (NEAVS). Even after a chimp is in infected, they will eventually shed the virus, or no longer test positive (NEAVS).

This is disgusting to me. In the infected chimps, “they do not represent how the disease infects, progresses, or kills in humans” (NEAVS). So why are we STILL testing on them? If you look at the picture posted in this blog, you can see a helpless chimp strapped down with a syringe lying next to it. This animal is so much similar to a human; can you imagine a human in its place? The researchers testing these drugs don’t care if the chimpanzee is in agonizing pain. That is the sick part. Maybe, just maybe, I could see that this testing could be a necessity because we really do need to come up with a vaccine for AIDS. But when you KNOW that these chimps aren’t any good to your research, then why continue to torture them. That is dying in vain.

New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS). (2009). Release and restitution for chimpanzees in U.S. laboratories. Retrieved November 3, 2009 from http://www.releasechimps.org/harm-suffering/research-current/hivaids-debacle/

Did you know?

**In Tasmania, the Department of Education has HIV/AIDS guidelines for students.

- There is no legal obligation for those who have been infected (or been at risk of infection) to inform the school.

- Students who have been infected by HIV should not be excluded from school or isolated within the school.

- Principals are legally bound to respect the confidentiality of that information. (Like our question of the week!)

** http://www.education.tas.gov.au/school/health/students_health_care_requirements/procedures/hivaids_policy_and_procedures