When will skeptics admit that when it comes to fighting AIDS, condoms aren't working?

Question

Edward Green, senior scientist who runs Harvard's AIDS Prevention Research Project, found that the Ugandan health program which stresses marital fidelity and abstinence is working, where condoms are not.

"A 2004 article in the journal Science found HIV prevalence in Uganda had plunged 70% since the early 1990s, primarily from a reduction in casual sex. Other nearby countries did NOT see similar declines, despite heavy CONDOM use."

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0803/opinions-jihad-africa-hiv-ideas-opinions.html#

Answer 1

Yes, I applaud this same secular scientist for supporting the Pope in his comments about the detrimental affects of condom distribution. No matter what our creed, we can all embrace common sense when it smacks us right in the eyes.



The AIDS-prevention mafia gets lots of money to fight AIDS......with condoms. So they rip anyone apart that suggests nonmedical tools to fight this horrible disease.



Continuing to push condoms "just in case" is not getting to the heart of the problem which is promiscuity. We need to be changing people's hearts and minds....their behaviors...not throwing condoms at them. Condoms are merely a band-aid on a gaping, gushing wound.



Abstinence is the safest best way to prevent the spread of AIDS. It is also God's law for those who are single. Looks like God knew best, all along.



Peace be to you all+

Answer 2

Your question assumes there is one best way. That is simply not true. No one is claiming using condoms is safer than abstinence. The actual claim is condoms are better than unprotected sex.



Of course if you abstain, you can't transfer HIV. The problem with depending on abstinence is that people are not abstinent. For example, in the very article you mention, the Ugandan program was:

ABC, standing for abstinence, be faithful, and correct and consistent condom use.



The Ugandan program *included* condom use.



Plus the article mentions all the successes of condom use in other countries. The article mentions the US and Thailand where condom use lowered HIV rates.



The CDC shows condom use in the US helps significantly.



The pore claim is completely false. Again from the CDC:

"Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of HIV."

Answer 3

The problem is that both Green and the people who use him as an example continually misstate what his data actually says. It does not say, "Condoms don't work, abstinence does." What it actually says is, "Increased awareness and properly sustained behavior modification works. Nothing else ever did."



In the West, that increased awareness came from early educational efforts among the homosexual communities in many cities. The behavior modification included things like ending the use of public bathhouses in addition to *proper* condom use.



If the West had been largely unable to modify their behavior to use condoms properly, no one today would think that condoms work. If other African nations were as able as the West to modify that part of their behavior - and use condoms consistently and properly - no one today would question whether condoms were the right choice.



Green does have some valid points. But "condoms don't work" isn't one of them.

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@ archendma - bullshit. Pure, unadulterated bullshit.



Latex condoms are impermeable to water. What do you think is larger - a virus or a water molecule? Please think about this before you answer.

Answer 4

Condoms do work. The problem is that most people do not know how to use them, or the condoms rip and allow sex juice to mingle and mix and this happens all in a warm moist area being that both people are aroused. Warm moist area=survival requirements for HIV virus. You cant go around educating people that condoms are not working because it works somewhat. No condom doesnt work at all. Abstinence and masturbation are the ONLY way to guarantee your sexual safety but thats not reality. Monogamy would be great as well but thats not reality. Life just doesnt work that way. Humans have sex and must take precaution as well as possible. So like everything else,condoms work if you use them right. Meaning make sure they never fall off, make sure they are not expired,make sure they have 0 holes, make sure you get the right size, not a bigger one because your in denial about the actual size of your penis, make sure the girl is ok with having protected sex. I have no need to include things like make sure you just never have sex or stay with one person, because in this society, the people whose strong enough to live up to that, already know that. and with that.....i rock out

Answer 5

Latex -and in fact all natural rubber products are porous. Typical Latex Condoms have pores (little holes) ranging from 9 to 15 microns in size. The HIV Virus is between 6 and 7 microns in size. So here is the big question:



How hard is it to fit a 6 to 7 micron virus through a 9 to 15 micron hole?



NOT VERY!



All of this has been known for more than a decade. Condoms may afford some protection but when it comes to AIDS you are barking up the wrong tree...

Answer 6

When used, and used properly they are VERY efficient in preventing the spread of AIDS. The problem lies more in the fact that people are not properly educated about the fact that they should use condoms, and HOW to use them properly. The article even states that the spread of AIDS is higher because of inconsistency of condom use.

Whose fault is that? The anti-birth control religious movement, when they spread misinformation about condoms, and tell people that condoms don't work to stop AIDS.

There is more data out there proving that when condoms are used correctly and consistently, they DO prevent the spread of AIDS.



No one disagrees that monogomy and abstinence helps stem the tide of AIDS. Obviously abstinence is the best way to avoid getting AIDS. The problem is that it is just not realistic to think that everyone is going to do this. On top of this, not everyone in the world shares the beliefs that sex outside of marriage is a "sin" that should be avoided. The religious been preaching abstinence for centuries, and people are still having sex outside of marriage. It's NEVER going to stop.



While I have no problem with someone declaring that abstinence is the best way to avoid AIDS, it is reckless, irresponsible, and wrong of them to suggest that condoms do not help prevent the spread of AIDS, and it's even WORSE for them to suggest that condoms help compound the problem.



The religious community wants to use data like that in this article, data that shows that encouraging abstinence and monogomy can help stem the tide of AIDS, and use it to push their anti-condom and anti-birth control agenda. This is just as dishonest as it would be to say that condoms are the ONLY way to stop AIDS. Those of us who DO push for condom use and condom education, ARE also encouraging abstinence and monogomy. That's the difference between us and the anti-condom religious community. We're not withholding information. It is an outright LIE to suggest that we are deliberately trying to NOT encourage abstinence and monogomy to make money for the condom companies. If you want people to listen to what you have to say, you need to not LIE.

Answer 7

Although I agree with religious conservatives who want to challenge the youth to delay sexual activity for a while, I totally disagree with their message that a condom is a provision for sin. I send my Christian friends to the website below which debunks the whole thing against premarital sex in the Bible. That way they have no excuse not to support comprehensive sex education.

Answer 8

obviously if you're not going to have sex, you're not going to have the problems related with it.





however, a large problem with the spread of AIDs in African countries is the stance of the Christian church on contraception. The African countries, generally speaking, are pretty deeply religious. the use of contraception is discouraged, and so, AIDs spreads.



i'm not putting it all down to the influence of religion - the lack of law enforcement/reliable, responsible law enforcement = high percentage of rape cases, which increase the spread of AIDs.





it's not a founded claim, to say that Condoms aren't working. alone they are not enough, but in countries where they are widely employed/distributed and actively used, they are very effective.



i sense a bias in this question ;)

Answer 9

With abstinence there is 100% preventability. With condom use there is still a chance that the condom will be defective. For those who do not choose to be abstinent, a condom is the next best way of prevention. Abstinence is not for everyone.

Answer 10

What you're really forgetting is the millions of years we've lived on earth "au naturale" having sex when we wanted un hampered by 2000 years of Christ ( our churches interpretation of Jesus who strangely enough doesn't seem to mention sex in any of the Gospels in comparison to the guys who proclaim christ's message in the rest of the NT). You cannot rely on a simple message of chastity to overcome so much of culture, and a culture that has dramatically changed in the last 20 years allowing migrant male workers to be free of their wives in the home village and sample the female populations in the new cities....the result is widespread and apocalyptic death among some africans.

Our faith, as per the gospels and not the books of Paul and the church, is based on not judging people but helping them and so the question is do you lessen your faith by promoting condom usage and safer sex among a primitive culture . What's it to do with you once you observe your (church imposed) religious sexual practises- you can only choose yourself and not influence others or force them to your point of view to feel your faith is real. Jesus was so much more than that, I hope?

Answer 11

A woman without AIDS who has unprotected sex with a man who has AIDS is not only likely to get AIDS, but pass the disease on to her offspring.

If condoms are used, only one generation is likely to have AIDS, while unprotected sex will lead to a new generation being born with AIDS.



I think the best course of action would be to make sure that you don't have sex with an infected person, or if you want children, have a surrogate mother carry the child to term to avoid spreading it on to one's offspring.

Answer 12

The reason it doesn't work there is the Catholics telling them that they shouldn't use them. Condoms are pretty effective by themselves. That is what has been going on the entire time there has been a huge spread of it.



In the US where people actually wear them it's still very much under control.



Added: By the way, it has gone back up since 2004, and the abstinence only programs are taking a lot of the blame: http://www.avert.org/aidsuganda.htm



AND it's still over 5%....I wouldn't be calling that a success.

Answer 13

You have trouble with facts ... yes, on paper abstinence works better than anything else.



Huge problem ... kids couldn't care less about abstinence .,..



Therefore, by promoting abstinence only, you participate in the spreading of the STDs ... you should really be ashamed of yourself.



Check out Europe where they distribute condoms at school and where religions are almost completely gone ... see how many people are infected compared to here !!!



You are truly uneducated!!

Answer 14

your right marital fidelity and abstinence would work better then condoms.

but its ignorant to think everyone is just going to be abstinent. Therefore promoting condoms at least provides a certain degree of safety.

Answer 15

A single, and certainly not in any way biased article, contradicts the overwhelming pool of articles that says condoms help prevent the spread of AIDS? Well then, I must be completely wrong. Who could possibly argue with a single article?

Answer 16

Lol yes. Abstinence WORKS.



*facepalm*

Answer 17

its true sex always does present some risk. but using condoms properly can make that risk very very minimal

Answer 18

you're kidding, right?



so miraculously, they tought population of one state to f*k only their stable partners?



while the sinners from various people liberation armies (don't confuse with liberation people's armies) happily gangrape every woman in sight, from age 1 to age 45?

Answer 19

Depends where the condoms are made too - and how efficient the rubber is (if it is rubber).



Hey, condoms are better than nothing, right? :D

Answer 20

Condoms aren't working because people aren't using them/aren't using them properly (storage, expiration date and checking the package, putting it on, etc.)

Answer 21

A condom won't guarantee you won't get or transmit an STD. It will lower the odds.



A seat belt won't guarantee you won't die in a car wreck. It will lower the odds.

Answer 22

when they stop being gay

Answer 23

I don't think they will.