"People are willing to put up with the rash because they have cancer ... but if you have two equivalent options and one causes a rash and one doesn't, people are always going to choose the one without a rash, " Hecht says.
Whatever the case, don't throw away that brand spanking new VX8550 or anything rash like that -- the companies aren't looking to roll anything out for another three or four years.
But officials and advocates can't pinpoint a reason for the recent rash of attacks or even whether it reflects more violence or more aggressive reporting of incidents.