Abstinence Alone Protects Fully Against HIV, Ugandan First Lady Tells Youth

LifeSite ^ | December 6, 2006 | Gudrun Schultz

[NYer]

MUKONO, Uganda, December 6, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Janet Museveni, First Lady of Uganda, has continued her strong support for the country’s successful abstinence campaign against HIV/AIDS with a statement encouraging youth to live lives of “love, faith and purity,” New Vision reported December 2.

"I would not be caught advising you to take any shortcuts or compromise your lives by using any device invented by man, such as condoms, in order to facilitate any desire to go against God's clear plan for your life,” Mrs. Museveni told students at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono, for World AIDS Day.

“God's plan for your life is that you should honour your body because it is His temple."

Warning the young people that they should not be complacent as HIV infection rates rise, Mrs. Museveni asked them to encourage  other students to abstain from premarital sex.

Ugandan President Museveni and his wife introduced a program encouraging sexual abstinence before marriage and fidelity afterwards, in an attempt to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

The program has been harshly condemned by international organizations promoting condom use, but in fact Ugandan HIV transmission rates dropped by as much as 75% in some regions after the program was introduced, down to 5-7% from a high of 18%.

Uganda is in an ongoing struggle with Western NGOs pushing condom use in the country. UNICEF, the UNFPA, the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control are among those organizations relying on condom promotion for AIDS prevention in African nations. The UN has openly opposed the use of abstinence programs as a successful alternative to Western approaches on lessening virus transmission rates.

Criticism of the West’s emphasis on condom use has been growing, as HIV/AIDS transmission rates show no signs of slowing after years of condom promotion. Medical Journalist Sue Ellin Browder reported in June 2006 on evidence showing dramatic increases in condom distribution in African nations paralleled an explosion in HIV/AIDS infection rates.

“So far, there’s no good evidence that condoms will reverse population-wide epidemics like those in sub-Saharan Africa,” Browder wrote for Crisis Magazine.

See previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Medical Journalist Says Reliance on Condoms Spreads HIV/AIDS
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jun/06062304.html

Uganda AIDS Prevention Success Being Undermined by Infuriated UN Condom-Pushers
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05020408.html

UN Anger Over Uganda's Successful Abstinence Program Fueled by Loss of Funds Says Researcher
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05101404.html

Uganda's First Lady Warns Teens against Condom Use
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04011205.html

Ugandan Abstinence AIDS Prevention Program Equivalent to a Highly Effective Vaccine, Researchers Find
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/apr/04043004.html

[padre35]

Because he was being seeker sensitive?

"No" is always easily remembered.

[Disambiguator]

The program has been harshly condemned by international organizations promoting condom use,

An effective program is harshly condemned. Makes you wonder what the real agenda is of those doing the condemning.

[rottndog]

there are people who claim that abstinence won't reduce unwanted pregnancy

{{{ scratching head }}}


We'll file that under "Something so stupid only an "intellectual" can understand it".

[yankeedame]

Africa should not be forced to repeat every stupid mistake we make.

And vice versa.

[Fresh Wind]

{{{ scratching head }}}

An article making this claim was posted here at FR a few days back.

[Suzy Quzy]

But.....but....King Barack Obama and Lord Rick Warren say "USE CONDOMS TO STOP AIDS"!!! That silly woman knows NOTHING!

[SuziQ]

The program has been harshly condemned by international organizations promoting condom use, but in fact Ugandan HIV transmission rates dropped by as much as 75% in some regions after the program was introduced, down to 5-7% from a high of 18%.

Nothing suceeds like success! Good for the First Lady of Uganda sticking to the truth, and not selling these kids the 'you can have it all' bill of goods.

[GulfWar1Vet]

There are Christian missions in Ghana as well that promote the idea of abstinence.

[tumblindice]

"Janet Museveni, First Lady of Uganda, has continued her strong support for the country’s successful abstinence campaign against HIV/AIDS."

Does that mean not eating one another, too?

[little jeremiah]

Later GOTTA ping out.

[little jeremiah]

Same for this one - I'll get it later if you don't get to it first.

[atlaw]

For perspective:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200612041050.html

http://allafrica.com/stories/200611221093.html

[sappy]

No no. It's everyones disease.

~Libs

[BJClinton]

Criticism of the West’s emphasis on condom use has been growing, as HIV/AIDS transmission rates show no signs of slowing after years of condom promotion.

Repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results...

[Gene Eric]

>> Well, it's true, no matter how much the libs refuse to admit it.

The stats are compelling. I have a harsh view of those who choose not to recognize the positive data on abstinence.

[little jeremiah]

This wise lady needs to be invited to the US for a speaking tour.

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[wjcsux]

President Museveni and his wife are very strong, committed Evangelical Christians. We need to keep them in our prayers.

[TChris]

Criticism of the West’s emphasis on condom use has been growing, as HIV/AIDS transmission rates show no signs of slowing after years of condom promotion.

Hmm... Imagine that.

[Doc Savage]

Why worry about a harmless passenger retrovirus that doesn't cause AIDS, a syndrome of over 40 different diseases (that's forty for those of you in Rio Linda!) and is not sexually transmitted. Acquired Immune Deficiency means exactly that. Acquired. But not through sexual transmission of a ubiquitous retrovirus. If you're a male homosexual who uses alkyl nitrites and narcotics, has a virulent history of bacterial, viral and fungal infections for which you have taken massive amounts of both reactive and prophylactic antibiotics, antivirals and anti-fungals. Worry. If you're an IV drug user. Worry. Any one else, just use common sense and never take HIV cocktail drugs or DNA chain terminators. You'll be fine!