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Topic: Report:US abstinence demands hamper Africa's ability to fight AIDS
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Hephaestion
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4795
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posted 31 March 2005 05:08 PM
quote: (Kampala, Uganda) A human rights group said Uganda's progress against AIDS is at risk.In a report released Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said Uganda's president has fallen under the influence of Christian conservatives in the United States and is now promoting abstinence more, and condoms less, among young people. The report said U.S.-funded abstinence-only programs are jeopardizing Uganda's successful fight against HIV and AIDS. As a result, millions of young Ugandans could become infected by HIV, the group said. "Abstinence messages should complement other HIV-prevention strategies, not undermine them," said Jonathan Cohen, a researcher with Human Rights Watch's HIV/AIDS Program and one of the report's authors.
As if they didn't have enough problems with that crazy old bastard in the vatican!
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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puzzlic
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9646
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posted 09 July 2005 11:38 PM
East Africa is not having Christianity forced upon it -- that was already done 100 years ago. Right now all that's happening is that USAID is insisting that US-funded evangelical Christian groups get veto power over HIV-education materials. These groups use that veto power to insist on replacing information about the importance of correct and consistent condom use with messages that Africans should just abstain until marriage to a virgin who will remain faithful. Sadly, the toll of HIV has left many pubescent and teenage AIDS orphans who have no parents to care for them and no way to support themselves, which often leaves them vulnerable to exploitation by older men who offer school fees or support for the kid and younger siblings in exchange for sex. You can guess just how much power the young girl (or boy) might have in such circumstances to just say no, or to insist on condom use. Oh, and then the Ugandan government has been impounding shipments of condoms, creating a condom shortage in the country. In a country with a high prevalence of HIV like Uganda, every sexually active person is at risk of infection -- even if they're married. Indeed, in high-prevalence regions of Africa, marriage is actually a risk factor, not a protective factor, for women. In such circumstances, any policy that censors information about condom use and impedes people's access to them is simply a murderous. I've posted this link on another thread, but if anyone's interested, I would highly recommend the full HRW report,"The Less They Know, the Better: Abstinence-Only HIV/AIDS Programs in Uganda. These Christian anti-sex crusaders are just evil. Bad enough they're increasing US adolescents' risk of pregnancy and STDs by ineffective "don't have sex" programs that teach that sex is immoral, contraception is dangerous, condoms don't work and gays and lesbians must embrace lifelong celibacy. But when they try export their failed policies to countries like Uganda, where unprotected sex is highly likely to lead to HIV infection and where "just saying no" to sex is even less feasible for many young people than it is in the US ... [ 09 July 2005: Message edited by: puzzlic ]
From: it's too damn hot | Registered: Jun 2005
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MartinArendt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9723
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posted 15 July 2005 08:34 PM
No, no, now look folks:See, the thing is, if people just didn't have sex with each other, you see...well, then, you wouldn't have problems. In my opinion, the Christian Right just hasn't gone far enough. They should demonstrate the paragons of virtue that they are by, as they say, practicing what they preach. Quite frankly, if they were really committed to abstinence only, they would stop having sex altogether. No sex before marriage, no sex after marriage, no sex at all. I think if every Christian fundamentalist demonstrated this reasonable policy, the world would be a much better place in about a generation or so.
From: Toronto | Registered: Jun 2005
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puzzlic
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9646
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posted 15 July 2005 09:58 PM
quote: Only the US and only Christians, eh? Is that what I am hearing?
Yes. USAID is the only country funding abstinence-only HIV programs in Uganda, and it is doing so through Ugandan Christian fundamentalist churches that are funded by US Christian fundamentalist churches. If you don't believe it, read the Human Rights Watch report cited above.Until late 2002, the Ugandan government's (successful) HIV-reduction policy entailed giving HIV-educators free rein do whatever prevention efforts they thought would work. These educators, in turn, fought HIV and ignorance about it by promoting the following: delayed sexual debut, partner reduction, alleviated stigma for people with AIDS, access to free and voluntary testing, and CONSISTENT, CORRECT use of condoms -- wherever needed, through whatever means will reach people. And the prevalence of HIV declined. In the past couple of years or so, at USAID's behest, the Ugandan government has completely changed its policy: now they have prohibited education about condom use and access in curriculum materials, replacing it with exhortations of no-sex-until-marriage (an impractical exhortation in a country where many primary students are in their late teens (because the recent abolition of school fees allowed many teenagers who had to drop out because they could not afford it to return to school); many kids are AIDS orphans who find themselves pressured into relationships with older men in order to support themselves and their younger (often sick) siblings; and telling kids to abstain from sex doesn't work even in North America, where the economic situation is much easier). The government's position is now that young people should abstain until marriage, married people should always be faithful, and neither of these groups should use condoms. Condoms, the government teaches, are suitable only for "prostitutes and other high-risk groups". Worse, the government and US-funded agencies and churches are promoting the falsehood that condoms don't work because of alleged microscopic holes big enough for HIV to pass through. And worst of all, the government has recently impounded shipments of hundreds of thousands of condoms, manufacturing a condom shortage in Uganda. It may not be deliberate genocide, but there is definitely an element of wilful blindness to the consequences of this policy: people will have sex, as people like to do (and, too often, have to do); they will not use condoms because they can't get them and have been told they don't work anyway; they will get infected with HIV and infect their spouses, partners and children. Kinda puts a whole new spin on "pro-life", doesn't it? [ 15 July 2005: Message edited by: puzzlic ]
From: it's too damn hot | Registered: Jun 2005
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caoimhin
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4768
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posted 15 July 2005 10:44 PM
quote: Yes.
Wrong. quote: USAID is the only country funding abstinence-only HIV programs in Uganda,
Uganda is not all of Africa nor is USAID a country. Promoting condoms to 'high risk' elements of the population is not 'abstinance only'. Churches exist outside the U.S. as do bishops, some even in Africa. quote: .....falsehood that condoms don't work
They don't work all the time now do they, microscopic holes or not. I see nothing wrong with promoting both abstinence and condoms together. Both have inherent benefits to fighting this disease. Thebo Mebiki(sp?) himself said fighting poverty will fight AIDS. I don't know what the commitment the US has alotted in terms of money to fight AIDS, but I figure its around tensofbillionsofdollars or so. Not all of that money is earmarked for 'abstinence only' programmes? Getting condoms to people who need them is not the only responsiblilty of the the US taxpayer or of USAID. Nik, quote: I said what I think about USian abstinence tactics
And you haven't the foggiest idea of what other religions or nations - in Africa - have said or do say on the subject. That is why you don't 'don't understand'. BANANAS FOSTER. chunk of butter, couple o tablesppons of brown suger. melt together on low heat. add sliced bananas and saute until mushylike. add shot of rum, turn off the lights, light the rum, watch the flame. sprinkle with cinnamon when flame retires, spoon over good quality vanilla ice cream, enter heaven.
From: Windsor | Registered: Dec 2003
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Nikita
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9050
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posted 15 July 2005 11:15 PM
quote: I see nothing wrong with promoting both abstinence and condoms together
Me neither. My point is that some people are sexually abused and don't have the choice of either abstinence or a condom in that situation.(edited because I know damn well what my point is) quote: And you haven't the foggiest idea of what other religions or nations - in Africa - have said or do say on the subject
Don't presume to tell me what I know. Furthermore, I wasn't talking about other nations or religions in Africa. I was commenting on AMERICAN initiatives which I see as being harmful.[ 15 July 2005: Message edited by: Nikita ]
From: Regina | Registered: Apr 2005
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MartinArendt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9723
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posted 15 July 2005 11:36 PM
Woah...Ok, here's a piece of advice, caoimhin. Please don't take this the wrong way, but nothing you've said makes any sense, and if you continue arguing with puzzlic, you will get schooled like you have never gotten schooled before. To quote from The Big Lebowski: "Forget it Donny! You're out of your element."
From: Toronto | Registered: Jun 2005
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MartinArendt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9723
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posted 15 July 2005 11:46 PM
DONNY What tied the room together, Dude?WALTER Were you listening to the story, Donny? DONNY What-- WALTER Were you listening to the Dude's story? DONNY I was bowling-- WALTER So you have no frame of reference, Donny. You're like a child who wanders in in the middle of a movie and wants to know-- DUDE What's your point, Walter? WALTER There's no fucking reason--here's my point, Dude--there's no fucking reason-- DONNY Yeah Walter, what's your point? WALTER Huh? DUDE What's the point of--we all know who was at fault, so what the fuck are you talking about? WALTER Huh? No! What the fuck are you talking--I'm not--we're talking about unchecked aggression here-- DONNY What the fuck is he talking about? DUDE My rug. WALTER Forget it, Donny. You're out of your element.
From: Toronto | Registered: Jun 2005
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Nikita
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9050
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posted 16 July 2005 12:03 AM
Don't what? If they don't make educated decisions? How is someone supposed to make educated decisions without the education? If they choose not to use condoms? That is their choice, just like it is anyone's choice. It's a bad choice, to be sure, and I would never, ever say that someone should choose that. I believe people should be personally responsible to not only protect themselves against AIDS or STIs, but protect their partners. So, if someone wants to be smart and responsible and use a condom, but there are no condoms, what are they supposed to do? [ 16 July 2005: Message edited by: Nikita ]
From: Regina | Registered: Apr 2005
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Nikita
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9050
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posted 16 July 2005 12:32 AM
Ok this is my last post on this thread, I swear! The US and the Christian fundies are not the only group doing this. However, they are a large group with lots of influence and money and they are not helping the situation at all. A better, more realistic approach to the AIDS problem is needed as opposed to what is in place right now. BY EVERYONE. [ 16 July 2005: Message edited by: Nikita ]
From: Regina | Registered: Apr 2005
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