'Can a condom protect your heart?'

[bluegray V]

From: 'Can a condom protect your heart?'

The Silver Ring Thing says promoting contraception sends mixed messages. Its presentation is virulently anti-condom, usually the first weapon in Africa's war against HIV/Aids.

"I'm sick of the word condom," shouts team member Buck Matyila (20) during the show. "Can a condom protect your heart? Can a condom protect your mind? Can a condom protect your virginity? So are condoms safe?" "No!" yell the teenagers, as they snatch free T-shirts being hurled from the stage.

Many in South Africa question the wisdom of an abstinence only message in a country where one in nine people are infected with HIV. Some say it is unrealistic and downright dangerous.

I agree, these people are acting irresponsible. While I'm sure abstinence will make it less likely that people get HIV/Aids, you should at least tell people to use a condom if they do have sex. There is no need to send the message that condoms are bad.

[EM]

Penn & Teller had a good show on abstinence as part of their Bullshit program.  They ripped in to abstinence-only groups quite hard!  It is on Google Video.

Bottom line: people will have sex. So the choice seems to be protected vs. unprotected, rather than promiscuity vs abstinence.

But garlic...  now there's a solution.  Eat enough garlic and no one will want to have sex with you 

[Anacoluthon64]

Bottom line: people will have sex. So the choice seems to be protected vs. unprotected, rather than promiscuity vs abstinence.

Yes, especially the frisky, pubescent teenagers who are most at risk.  Chris Mooney's book The Republican War on Science has a whole chapter on US fundies having repeated frothies about school education programmes that are anything beyond abstinence-based.  The stupidity is not, therefore, limited exclusively to SA, though the motivations are different.

But garlic...  now there's a solution.  Eat enough garlic and no one will want to have sex with you 

If it comes with enough pizza, the sex won't matter.

'Luthon64

[Centre]

You guys just don't like the silver ring thing because none of you are Christians, right? You clearly have issues with religion. Shame. Countries in Africa who have promoted abstinence or only having one sexual partner have had better results in combatting HIV than condoms. Condoms can run out abstinence cant! Telling someone to have sex like a rabbit as long as he wears a condom promotes the exact same lifestyle that has caused Aids to become such an epidemic

[Anacoluthon64]

You guys just don't like the silver ring thing because none of you are Christians, right?

No, wrong.

You clearly have issues with religion. Shame.

Yes, and not really, respectively.

Countries in Africa who have promoted abstinence or only having one sexual partner have had better results in combatting HIV than condoms.

Citation please.

Condoms can run out abstinence cant!

Really?  Then we wouldn’t have a problem at all.

Telling someone to have sex like a rabbit as long as he wears a condom promotes the exact same lifestyle that has caused Aids to become such an epidemic

Undoubtedly so, but nobody’s doing that, at least not the way I’ve read it told.  What is being promoted is the idea that recommendations of abstinence and single-partner relationships should be augmented by condom use.  Do you perhaps have a problem with that?

'Luthon64

[wandapec]

Good answers - all!

[Tweefo]

People will have sex. There is a few million years of evolution that says so (that is why we are here) and these people are going to stop it just like that? As much as I hate it I would rather that my daughter is protected, if and when she does it.

[Centre]

I don't have a problem with condoms, I'm just saying that the campain promoting condoms without urging people to have a safe livestyle hasn't worked and wont work. Statistics suggest the pandemic is getting worse

[Anacoluthon64]

I don't have a problem with condoms, I'm just saying that the campain [sic] promoting condoms without urging people to have a safe livestyle [sic] hasn't worked and wont [sic] work.

Who is running such a one-sided campaign?  And what does being a christian/religious, or not, have to do with an AIDS-prevention initiative?

'Luthon64

[Centre]

Ill rather have my daughter having sex with someone that she knows doesn't have AIDS, because condoms don't always work. Now that is save sex. I'm just saying that promoting the above mentioned approach will do more in the fight against AIDS than condoms ever will. A condom works well for family planning though. I also believe that a person that knows he has AIDS and spreads it is a murderer and criminal procedures should follow. 

[Anacoluthon64]

I'm just saying that promoting the [safe sex lifestyle] approach will do more in the fight against AIDS than condoms ever will.

Now it sounds as though you’re saying that condoms are pretty useless in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Is that correct?

The implication of the above still seems to be that campaigns are being run that focus exclusively on condom use as a preventative, and wholly neglect the lifestyle, single-partner and abstinence messages, so the question still stands: Who are the people or organisations running such one-sided campaigns?

'Luthon64

[scienceteacherinexile]

Regarding high school programs in the US, complete education programs have been superior by far in reducing STIs and unplanned pregnancies.  That is teaching about sex, encouraging delaying having sex, and using condoms.  Abstinence only has been a miserable failure, but these programs are still the ones being pushed in many areas because of:  any guess?
Yep, the christian influence in those areas.