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Depressing news from a recent poll by Britain’s The Independent:

The Independent’s survey of more than 35 leading Aids scientists in Britain and the United States found that just two were now more optimistic about the prospects for an HIV vaccine than they were a year ago; only four said they were more optimistic now than they were five years ago.

Nearly two thirds believed that an HIV vaccine will not be developed within the next 10 years and some of them said that it may take at least 20 more years of research before a vaccine can be used to protect people either from infection or the onset of Aids.

A substantial minority of the scientists admitted that an HIV vaccine may never be developed, and even those who believe that one could appear within the next 10 years added caveats saying that such a vaccine would be unlikely to work as a truly effective prophylactic against infection by the virus.

It comes as a shock, sometimes, just how naturally we’ve assumed that at some point in the future, science and/or medicine will come up with a solution for all that ails us. With respect to HIV/AIDS, a panacea now appears farther away than ever.

I’m always surprised, too, when friends look at me that way when I tell them that even if a vaccine is found, I’ll never have unsafe sex, ever. I’m completely comfortable in saying so with no reservation or regret, and I’ll tell you why: I’ve buried too many friends, I’ve too many friends really struggling with the long-term effects (and side-effects) of HIV meds and, more to the point, I’ve simply never bought the lie that safer sex isn’t — or can’t be — hot sex.

As I left my doctor’s office yesterday morning, after receiving the results of my 30th (or so) HIV test, he pressed a fistful of female condoms into my hand (more on them in the near future). “Now, more than ever,” he said.

Safer sex is hot sex. The hottest sex. Ensuring you’ll be able to have hot, safe sex, over and over — lots and lots of really fuckin’ hot sex, for many, many years! — with minimal fear and no regret at all is an integral part of hot sex. As Prior Walter says at the very end of Angels in America: “More life!” It’s all up to you and very much within your grasp.

Story tip via Joe. My. God.