A flicker of common sense

First Lady Laura Bush revealed recently that, while she believes that abstinence education is an important component of HIV prevention efforts, she would be supportive of waiving the earmark mandating that 33 percent of US prevention funds be spent of abstinence-only programs. In an interview with CNN's Suzanne Malveaux during a trip through several African countries, Laura Bush commented that condoms are "absolutely necessary" and that she was "perfectly fine" with the proposed idea -- now passed in the House and introduced in the Senate -- that the abstinence only provision be waived from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Passed in 2003, PEPFAR required that one-third of the global prevention program’s funding go to the promotion of abstinence only education. In 2006, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the abstinence programs were actually "undermining the global efforts to prevent 7 million new HIV infections by 2008," the Center for Health and Gender Equity reports. (Source)

Finally! A little late to the table but finally some common sense. Condoms are vital for preventing the spread of HIV no matter how deeply one sticks one's head in the stand.

Take the Cambodian case, despite not receiving PEPFAR funding. There are a lot of sex workers in this country. Men visit sex workers on a regular basis. These men may subsequently transmit the HIV virus to their wives, who then run the risk of having HIV+ babies. One can rant on, as I have before, about the morality, sexism and suffering that this causes, but one thing is for sure, abstinence-only policies do not work.

Often the sex workers cannot find other employment and are supporting their whole family, paying for food, education and rent. Until adequate alternative livelihoods can be provided with support systems, abstinence is wholly unrealistic. Finally Mrs Bush has recognised that all over the world women often do not have the choice to abstain. Women barter sex for shelter and protection and it is the best they can do with the means they have.

It will be a great day when pragmatism is the guide for politics and issues including development, drug trafficking, corruption and sex education.