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New Research Shows Dangers of Condoms in HIV Prevention
SeaMax News ^ | 1/14/2004 | Fr. Michael Reilly

Posted on 01/20/2004 11:08:11 AM PST by Hugenot

New data based on the results of massive condom distribution in Africa indicates that condoms have done little if anything to slow the spread of AIDs, according to Austin Ruse of the Culture of Life Foundation.

In fact, they may even contribute to the spread of HIV because they give people a false sense of security.

"20 years into the pandemic there is no evidence that more condoms leads to less AIDS," stated Dr. Edward C. Green of Harvard’s' Center for Population and Development Studies.

Green continued to say that "we are not seeing what we expected: that higher levels of condom availability result in lower HIV prevalence."

At the Medical Institute for Sexual Health HIV/Pandemic in Washington, DC last week medical experts presented findings which indicate that the wisespread availability of condoms statistically increase promiscuity and therefore the risk of contracting HIV.

For example, Dr. Norman Hearst of the University of California reported statistics from several African nations (Kenya, Botswana) which show a correlation between increased condom sales and rising numbers of HIV infections each year.

How can this be? Hearst explained that we are "raising a generation of young people in Africa that believe that condoms will prevent HIV."

But can condoms really always guarantee safe sex? According to Hearst, "the most recent Met-analysis came up with 80%…but even if it is 90%, over time it’s the question of when, not if…you don't want to give people a false sense of security..."

That false sense of security evidently contributes to people engaging in sex with multiple partners.

Dr. Green said that that "having multiple sexual partners drives AIDS epidemics. If people did not have multiple sex partners, epidemics would not develop or, once developed, be sustained." He continued, "over a lifetime, it is the number of sexual partners [that matter]…condom levels are found to be non-determining of HIV infection levels."

According to Dr. Rand Stoneburner (formerly of the WHO and an independent advisor to USAID), "declines of HIV in Uganda are linked to behavior change…[and] include primary risk avoidance with a 65% decline in casual sex."

The Ugandan government, which promoted abstinence and faithfulness, helped bring about a 75% decline in HIV prevalence among 15-19 age group, 60% in the 20-24, and a 54% decline overall by 1998.

In other words, the solution to AIDs is behavior, not condoms.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: africa; aids; catholiclist; condoms; education; grids; healthcare; hiv; homosexualagenda
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1 posted on 01/20/2004 11:08:12 AM PST by Hugenot
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To: Hugenot
medical experts presented findings which indicate that the wisespread availability of condoms statistically increase promiscuity

This couldn't be true! The liberals have been telling us that promiscuity is in no way linked to the availability of condoms!

2 posted on 01/20/2004 11:15:14 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: Hugenot
Dry sex isn't helping things, either.
3 posted on 01/20/2004 11:17:39 AM PST by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
In africa you have a larger issue, all sorts of STD's are rampant... a condom won't stop the spread of HIV if your genetals have open sores from other diseases when you are having sex... If your crotch is full of open wounds, a condom isn't going to do much to stop bodily fluid transmissions.

Sub sahara Africa is a very different world than the first world.
4 posted on 01/20/2004 11:21:11 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: gcruse
Back in the eighties (!), the army had a file on more than 150 military personnel HIV cases in Germany (I think it was just Germany) contracted from infected prostitutes even though condoms were used in every case and the soldiers didn't perform 'risky' oral actions on the prostitutes. The military study settled upon bodily fluids entering the bloodstream via the capillaries in the pubic region where hair follicles act to 'direct' virus to the bloodstream.
5 posted on 01/20/2004 11:25:41 AM PST by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: Hugenot
Not surprising. More important than the technical shortfallings of the condom though are the cultural issues involved that are entirely missed in the approach of the article. When the men, despite proper usage training, stop pulling the condoms over their walking sticks as fertility totems and start using them the right way, there might be some effect.

To understand the cultures we are dealing with you have to read the articles on Vampire politics and flying african wizards.

6 posted on 01/20/2004 11:29:33 AM PST by gnarledmaw
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To: HamiltonJay
Yet in at least one sub-Saharan African country ABSTINENCE and MONOGAMY have been publically endorsed as the best way to avoid and control the spread of AIDS and guess what? It works!
7 posted on 01/20/2004 11:55:10 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: Hugenot
This is not new news. The government has always known that condoms will not prevent AIDS, the virus is small enough to pass through the microscopic openings in the latex. I was told this back in 1984, by an epidemiologist who was brought to LA to study and track the epidemic there. He was warning me to double glove. He said that the gov't didn't want the public to panic, so they let the condom and latex glove recommendation go out.
8 posted on 01/20/2004 12:00:49 PM PST by Eva
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To: gnarledmaw
Exactly. They also hand them out to kids to blow up like balloons.
9 posted on 01/20/2004 12:03:29 PM PST by tdadams
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To: Hugenot
Dr. Green, Harvard: "20 years into the pandemic there is no evidence that more condoms leads to less AIDS."

bump
10 posted on 01/20/2004 12:06:02 PM PST by polemikos (The solution to AIDs is behavior, not condoms)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
SAVAGE had the best quote on this subject: "Bush wants to spend $15BIL on a country that can't keep it's zippers up!"
11 posted on 01/20/2004 12:06:15 PM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: Eva
the virus is small enough to pass through the microscopic openings in the latex. I was told this back in 1984

This is an ages old rumor that has it's origins with the abstinence-is-the-only-answer fundamentalists. It was long ago proven to be utter nonsense.

12 posted on 01/20/2004 12:10:15 PM PST by tdadams
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To: Hugenot
Maybe Bono and Paul O'Neill should do a new Africa Tour to talk talk about this.....oh no, they might lose their popularity with the liberals. Can't have that!
13 posted on 01/20/2004 12:12:17 PM PST by cookcounty (A "Shaheed" is NOT a "Martyr.")
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To: Hugenot
according to Austin Ruse of the Culture of Life Foundation

Just show me that and I'll tell you which way the research went.

14 posted on 01/20/2004 12:12:38 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: tdadams
This is an ages old rumor that has it's origins with the abstinence-is-the-only-answer fundamentalists. It was long ago proven to be utter nonsense.

IIRC, in their "research" they filled condoms with a fluid containing millions of microscopic balls the size of the virus. They delcared that condoms won't stop transmission of the virus when they found that after several hours some of the capsules had permeated the latex.

I guess they're right in a real-world sense if the guy ejaculates 1/2 cup of semen and the girl keeps the condom in her for a couple hours afterwards.

15 posted on 01/20/2004 12:18:24 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: Hugenot
"The Ugandan government, which promoted abstinence and faithfulness, helped bring about a 75% decline in HIV prevalence among 15-19 age group, 60% in the 20-24, and a 54% decline overall by 1998. "

This literally represents millions of lives saved, yet the world media continuously ignore the Ugandan turn-around, prefering to tell the world we need more condoms, quilts and AIDwalks. Posturing for "compassion" while millions die---how sick.

16 posted on 01/20/2004 12:19:51 PM PST by cookcounty (A "Shaheed" is NOT a "Martyr.")
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To: NYer
Could you please ping the usual suspects?

There is an article in this months Discover about this. Condoms are better than nothing, but the whole continent of Africa has a massive problem of multiple sexual partners.

If I can find a link I will post it.
17 posted on 01/20/2004 12:23:16 PM PST by redgolum
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To: antiRepublicrat
Not to get graphic on you, but filling up the condomn with liquid is not unlike it being stretched and strained by ...well you know. Sounds like a valid research approach to me, although the "hours" business would seem to be a problem.

Are you sure it was "hours"? (how many hours?)

18 posted on 01/20/2004 12:25:21 PM PST by cookcounty (A "Shaheed" is NOT a "Martyr.")
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To: Hugenot
At the Medical Institute for Sexual Health HIV/Pandemic in Washington, DC last week medical experts presented findings which indicate that the wisespread availability of condoms statistically increase promiscuity and therefore the risk of contracting HIV.

Yet again scientific knowledge finally discovers what the believers have known all along.

Shalom.

19 posted on 01/20/2004 12:28:32 PM PST by ArGee (Scientific reasoning makes it easier to support gross immorality.)
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To: tdadams
It is not a rumor, the man who told me this was a top gov't epidemiologist, working with the doctors at either USC or UCLA, I can't remember which. He was telling me for my own protection.
20 posted on 01/20/2004 12:37:25 PM PST by Eva
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