Dan: No, I don't think that the current push to deal with AIDS (whether or not it's caused by HIV, global warming or a lack of vitamin C) is a hate campaign against men. I personally think that what you're seeing is a manifestation of the endemic discrimination against men in all areas of public health, not just HIV/AIDS research. IMO if there is a hate movement againt men in this area (and I personally think describing it as a "hate movement" is too strong), it's in the broader context of public health.
Rob, point taken re. academia, however, I didn't mean to imply that academics are infallible. In fact, all academics - and people in general - are often wrong, it's just that some of them are wrong less often than others. Peer-review indeed does not guarantee accuracy or correctness, but IMO it's better than a non peer-reviewed free-for-all. Further, academia in not some monolithic institution, it's a loose congregation of very diverse disciplines, some of which are more rigorous and have higher standards than others. Indeed, when it comes to professional standards the difference between, e.g., women's studies and physics is like night and day. I personally believe in the scientific principle because it has served us well for many centuries. YMMV.
