Post by Blaque on Nov 21, 2006 12:15:52 GMT -5
LONDON - Amid all the dire warnings about the AIDS pandemic, researchers announce some good news: Young African women report they are increasingly using condoms with their partners.
"It‘s not rapid enough, but if that increase continues or even accelerates, it‘s bound to make a dent on HIV transmission," said John Cleland, a professor at London‘s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who conducted the study along with Dr. Mohamed Ali of the World Health Organization .
Women make up 60 percent of adults infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS .
Dr. Kevin O‘Reilley, an HIV prevention expert at the WHO, said progress may be slow, but is being made at an appreciable rate. "It‘s not as desperate as people are painting it to be," he said. O‘Reilly was not connected to the study.
"You might get more impact for your dollar in aligning condom use with contraception than disease prevention," said Cleland.
Another student in Lagos, Princess Chukwuma, said using a condom is like an insurance policy. "You don‘t know about men," the 24-year-old said. "Maybe they go with other girls behind your back and you can‘t tell."
Critics say the U.S. program has shifted emphasis from condoms toward abstinence and fidelity, especially among the young. U.S. officials say their three-pronged HIV-prevention strategy, emphasizing abstinence, fidelity and condom use, offers people the best options to protect themselves.
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I guess Yohane Banda (the father of the little boy who Madonna adopted) didn't get the memo. He got re-married on Friday to 22-year-old Flora Kamanga, who is three months pregnant.
"It‘s not rapid enough, but if that increase continues or even accelerates, it‘s bound to make a dent on HIV transmission," said John Cleland, a professor at London‘s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who conducted the study along with Dr. Mohamed Ali of the World Health Organization .
Women make up 60 percent of adults infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS .
Dr. Kevin O‘Reilley, an HIV prevention expert at the WHO, said progress may be slow, but is being made at an appreciable rate. "It‘s not as desperate as people are painting it to be," he said. O‘Reilly was not connected to the study.
"You might get more impact for your dollar in aligning condom use with contraception than disease prevention," said Cleland.
Another student in Lagos, Princess Chukwuma, said using a condom is like an insurance policy. "You don‘t know about men," the 24-year-old said. "Maybe they go with other girls behind your back and you can‘t tell."
Critics say the U.S. program has shifted emphasis from condoms toward abstinence and fidelity, especially among the young. U.S. officials say their three-pronged HIV-prevention strategy, emphasizing abstinence, fidelity and condom use, offers people the best options to protect themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I guess Yohane Banda (the father of the little boy who Madonna adopted) didn't get the memo. He got re-married on Friday to 22-year-old Flora Kamanga, who is three months pregnant.