Posted on 03/11/2005 10:27:36 AM PST by xzins
Harvard Doc: Abstinence, Monogamy Can Help Win War on AIDS
Mary Rettig and Jenni Parker Agape Press
March 10, 2005
A senior research scientist from Harvard says abstinence and faithfulness are more effective than condoms to stop the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Dr. Edward Green of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies is the author of Rethinking AIDS Prevention (Praeger, 2003). He says he wrote the book after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) dismissed his study of effective AIDS prevention program, and instead hired another researcher, one who favored condoms, to conduct another investigation.
According to Green, officials with USAID and the United Nations have continued to contend that promoting abstinence simply is not practical. He disagrees, however. "It's hard to argue with success," the doctor says. "If you look at the countries in Africa that have the highest levels of condom use -- countries like Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya -- these are not countries with lower HIV infection rates. These are countries, unfortunately, with higher infection rates. So what all these experts are saying, that [promoting condoms] is the only practical thing -- first of all, it's not working."
On the other hand, Uganda has become to many the "poster-child" nation for what has been called the ABC approach -- an AIDS prevention program that emphasizes encouraging people to "Abstain" from sexual activity, "Be faithful" in marriage or a monogamous relationship, or if one chooses to do neither A nor B, use Condoms.
Green says Uganda has been a success story for initiatives that stress abstinence and faithfulness in particular, largely because the churches in the country have helped to promote them. "The faith-based organizations, whether Christian or Muslim, were mobilized in countries like Uganda and Senegal and Jamaica," the researcher says, "so church leaders and religious groups played a big role in targeting those behaviors -- fidelity and abstinence."
As a result, the Harvard scientist says churches in Uganda and around the world are having a significant impact on the containment of HIV and AIDS. Nevertheless, he notes, many global groups that promote condom use consider churches and other faith-based groups to be obstacles to the fight against AIDS and HIV infection, and tend to frown on anyone who supports the efficacy of their abstinence- and character-based approaches.
In fact, Green notes, the U.S. Agency for International Development refused to accept his documented evidence that abstinence and faithfulness work to curb HIV, instead choosing to bring in another researcher -- one predisposed to favor condoms-based prevention -- to conduct another study.
Nearly two years ago, Green testified before the U.S. Senate's African Subcommittee about the effectiveness of Uganda's ABC approach. He observed that, in little more than a decade, it had helped bring about a steep decline in the African nation's HIV/AIDS infection rates: they had dropped from 21 percent to 6 percent since 1991.
In his 2003 Senate testimony, Green noted, "Many of us in the AIDS and public health communities didn't believe abstinence and faithfulness were realistic goals. It now seems we were wrong."
Now the Gay-Lesbian-Our-Feelings-Are-Hurt Alliance (GLOFAHA) is going to demand a another gay democrat be appointed to the Harvard faculty in the name of diversity.
Your so out of line asking God to curse us with super viruses. Not all who are infected 'deserved it' besides unless you are perfect you also deserve punishment shall we ask for God to curse you with a disease?
Then you will grow old before your time, and have an increased chance of exposing your "genes" to all sorts of incompatible DNA. Nature solves her issues in her own way.
Good One!
One man. One woman. For life.
If we had all the gov't money that funds these ridiculous studies, we would have probably cured AIDS and cancer by now.
Hope the good man still has his job!!
I was about to write that no woman should want any man that isn't monogamous.
Well, every woman has a right to such an opinion.
However, there is a large and accepted "religion" in the world (Islam) where it is common for woman to have up to four husbands and it is viewed favorably by the so called "religous" leaders. I have no idea whether most woman in this situation would like this or not.
I practice monogamy myself and believe it is the best way of life for many reasons, but that doesn't mean I wish death on those who don't. I find your opinion pretty disturbing.
Wow, this dude shoul be given a Major Award. Wow....
After all, the cushy jobs enjoyed by USAID employes depend on building the bureaucracy, and in this case building the bureaucracy means more and more condoms.
Left-wing crypto-science 101---if its good for the state, it's good medicine.
What is it with these ivy league educated types. First one goes off and suggests that there is an actual difference in men and women and then this one goes off and suggest refraining from casual sex could control the spread of aids ?
Clearly these guys haven't been educated in our modern high schools yet........
Moral Absolutes Ping.
There are many reasons why chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage are absolutely necessary for individuals and society. It is noteworthy that this high moral standard of sexual purity and responsibility is universal in every religion. Also noteworthy is how far our culture fas fallen from that standard in just a couple of generations.
Not getting AIDS is just one of the minor reasons for the above standards. How much misery can be prevented by getting with the program instead of rebelliously going for the instant gratification?
Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist. Freepmail is best.
Let examine this carefully:
AIDS is spread through risky sexual behaviors; ie the more people you sleep with, the higher your transmission risk.
AIDS is spread through blood transfusions, or other blood to blood transfers of human products.
Truly monagamous relationships entail two people sleeping together exclusively; ie, no third party variable exists to introduce virus to this unique subgroup.
so...........
no third party variable exists to introduce virus to this unique subgroup.
Monogamy is the one factor that can be controlled. A couple can eliminate variant 'c'; the introduction of a third party.
.....and of course abstinance is a sure fire way to limit your exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. I'd say around 100% effective.
The post doesn't necessarily mean that the poster wants God to directly cause Hiv,
You may give the poster the benefit of the doubt but I don't.
If it takes a disaster to wake people up, then it doesn't reflect on God if the disaster is of PEOPLE'S own making.
Those who abuse the God-given knowledge about physiology pay a price. We know that it's crazy to do certain things such as drink polluted water. God is the creator of everything, so He's also the creator of the laws, biological/chemical/physical, that do exist.
But He warned us about promiscuous sex, and everyday observation also reveals the truth.....violate biological principles such as these, and you will pay a price.
The inventor of the gun is not responsible for the murders that took place in Atlanta yesterday.
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