Will Condoms Really Stop AIDS In Africa?

[Jayhawker Soule]

Aids is a terrible disease, but are the number of infections and rate of contraction in the U.S. enough to call it an epidemic here in the U.S? It doesn't look like it to me.

Clearly the AIDS pandemic is qualitatively more severe in Africa. I just don't understand how that is relevant to the topic at hand.

 

[BUDDY]

Clearly the AIDS pandemic is qualitatively more severe in Africa. I just don't understand how that is relevant to the topic at hand.

Reply to an earlier comment and description of the AIDS/HIV problem in America as epidemic. Our culture is one of recognition (for the most part) that protecting yourself against STD's is vital inorder to live a healty lifestyle. This has been made possible through secular education for the most part. The culture in Africa is much different, with a lack of the secular educational work that we have here in the U.S. Clearly there is something within the culture that is making AIDS and HIV such a great problem in that region, cupled with the fact that there is a lack of education about these diseases. Somehow, I highly doubt that the church's stance on constaception has much, if anything to do with the problem. I am not even sure that there is an overwhelming number of catholics in Africa. Admittedly, I need to do research on this though.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I am not even sure that there is an overwhelming number of catholics in Africa. Admittedly, I need to do research on this though.

Thanks for responding.

 

[Prima]

One of the reasons the African AIDS problem is so severe is because of lack of adequate health needs, not during the epidemic but before the epidemic. A few of the more traditional means of 'healing' didn't work - one of them, for example, being having sex with a virgin. No one knew anything about AIDS. There was a severe lack of education.

And yes, there is a significant number of Catholics in Africa. Let me pull some numbers for you, but Latin America and Africa have the highest number of Catholics.

And yes, contraception does have importance in Africa - especially with the new pope, because everyone's on the edge of their seat for new ideas (one of the African bishops was a 'favorite' for papal nomination)


One big point I'd like to give is this: J4L mentioned that it was the fault of those having unprotected sex. However, HIV can be passed on through mother-child, or can be passed on unknowingly. ("I didn't need protection, because she said she didn't have HIV, blah blah...")

Another thing is, breastfeeding is a more common practice in Africa than America - also, dangerously, so is wet nursing (giving the child to another person to nurse) Read:

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mother to Child: It is possible for an HIV-infected mother to pass the virus directly before or during birth, or through breast milk. Breast milk contains HIV, and while small amounts of breast milk do not pose significant threat of infection to adults, it is a viable means of transmission to infants.[/font]


Check this out - A Project in Development
AIDS in Africa
[size=-1]Working in coalition with many other organizations, we will use direct satellite technology to bring HIV/AIDS information to places and people the Internet doesn't reach in Sub-Saharan Africa.

On condom use:

[/size][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How effective are latex condoms in preventing HIV?[/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Several studies have demonstrated that latex condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV transmission when used correctly and consistently. These studies looked at uninfected people considered to be at very high risk of infection because they were involved in sexual relationships with HIV-infected persons. The studies found that even with repeated sexual contact, 98-100% of those people who used latex condoms consistently and correctly remained uninfected. For more on these studies, including free written information, call the CDC National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-2437 (English), 1-800-344-7432 (Spanish), or 1-800-243-7889 (TTY). (Source: Centers for Disease Control - CDC)[/font]


[size=-1]
Facts from aids.org
[/size]

 

[Prima]

Ah, here -

These facts (from BBC) did not split up the Americas.

The Americas have the lion's share of baptised Catholics, with 49.8% (approx 541 million); Europe accounts for 25.8% (approx 282 million); Africa has 13.2% of the total (approx 143 million); Asia - 10.4% (approx 113 million); Oceania - 0.8% (approx 9 million).

 

[Scott1]

In the interest of "equal time" for myself.... take a look at:

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Botswana Alcohol Aids Project[/font]


Co-Founder: Rev. Jim MacDonald, Counselor/Therapist, Addiction Specialist

AKA: My dad

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Jim's Background Information[/font]
​

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Jim MacDonald has spent the last 30 years as a Counselor, Therapist,Addiction Specialist, and Behavioralist. He is a graduate of the Clinical Training In Alcoholism, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania & Hospital as well as the Certification Program of Advanced Relapse Prevention offered by the Center for Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois.

Jim is skilled in Prevention Techniques as well as in In-Patient and Out-Patient Treatment of Addictions, CoDependency and other Behavioral and Biological, Psychological, and Socialogical Dysfunctions. [/font]
​

 

[Sunstone]

I have to agree with Deut on this one. The real question is whether condoms help to reduce AIDS, not whether they alone completely solve the AIDS problem. Most major problems are solved by many partial solutions adding up, rather than by one comprehensive solution.