From Alas, A Blog, via the f word, news that a study has been released showing that abstinence only campaigns have had no effect on sexual abstinence, unprotected sex, or the number of sexual partners.
This is on top of growing evidence that the Abstinence, Be faithful, use Condoms (ABC) campaign in Uganda has been failing because of a push towards abstinence and away from condom use which has gradually become more and more of an afterthought. Uganda used to be a success story in the fight against AIDS, but the infection rates are now rising. A comprehensive article appears in Thought Theater.
In Nyasa Times, from Malawi, there is an article saying that,as the result of AIDS, the army has been reduced by 40% which is a staggering amount. It also says that the US has tripled the amount of aid for fighting against HIV/AIDS. Now that this new report has been released, albeit very quietly, we can only hope that the aid programs will no longer tie money to abstinence programs.
According to Stephen Lewis, Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Western inertia is nailing the coffin shut for Africa.
I wish our government wouldn't act as missionaries. No one really gets to say if their taxes are spent immorally. There are so many other thing my tax money has been spent on that I have felt were immoral; such as the proxy wars used to fight communist in South America. Our fight against communism has kept many depots in power. Its seems when it comes to sex and reproduction our government caters to the religious; not for murder, genocide or oppression.
ReplyDeleteThank you hathor. I just wish eyes weren't so firmly shut so they could see their policies were failing.
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