Saturday, May 10, 2008

Abstinence seen as key to AIDS fight in Africa

Efforts to curb the AIDS epidemic in Africa should concentrate on promoting sexual restraint, a team of Harvard researchers has concluded, after finding that condom-distribution campaigns have not significantly reduced the spread of the disease.

"We need a fairly dramatic shift in priorities, not just a minor tweaking," said Dr. Daniel Halperin, who led the research team from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The group's report in Science magazine found that male circumcision had a dramatic effect in curtailing the transfer of the HIV virus.

But efforts to promote condom use did not affect the spread of AIDS in Africa.

The Harvard study focused on 9 African countries where the AIDS epidemic has been most devastating; in these countries more than 12% of the adult population is HIV-positive.

The researchers found that programs designed to discourage sexual promiscuity had a strong positive impact in several countries.

The most successful program was in Uganda, where a government-backed campaign produced a reported 50% drop in the number of people reporting multiple sexual partners.

Similar programs led to a reduction in the rate of HIV infection in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Ivory Coast as well. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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