Condoms-- Taboo

On my recent trip I had a lot of time in the car and remembered that I had downloaded a series done at Bethel College on HIV/AIDS. The speakers were very interesting and most of the sessions were very good. I was impressed with a conservative Christian College dedicating a whole seminar on HIV/AIDS. I listened to two speakers who had clearly not listened to each other. It was quite humorous and shed light on a lot of the problems and obstacles to moving forward with unity on prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Many of you know or have heard about HIV in Uganda and how it is one of the only nations in Africa where the incidence of HIV decreased for a period of time. When that happened it was up for grabs to take credit for the progress. Many advocates claimed that since they introduced the ABC (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condom) strategy there was a decrease in HIV incidence. Recently, however, there has been an increase in incidence. One speaker highlighted the clear association with abstinence education and the decrease of HIV in Uganda using numbers and stats. He explained that once condoms were introduced the country went the way of the rest of Africa to increase incidence. Another speaker (who was himself African and a Christian) interpreted the events very differently. He said that the ABCs were initially used to promote behaviour change to use condoms . This was responsible for the decrease. He said that when PEPFAR (an initiative by President Bush) was introduced and abstinence only education was taught people stopped using condoms but did not stop having sex! And because of that the incidence in Uganda has increased.

Do you see how easy it is to use statistics and correlations to argue your point? Do you see how easy it is to see what you want to see? We need to get beyond promoting "our way" as the best and see that all ways have their place in different times and different locations. Uganda is a mystery to me. I have tried to do literature research on the studies done during the decline of incidence, but it is almost impossible to find an objective study or article published. I could argue both sides relatively easily but for what gain? I don't care to only see what I want to see in my perfect little box of how things should be. I need to see the truth and reality and move on from there.

Christian, what happens to your worldview if someone says that condoms are working well to prevent HIV? Can God allow condoms prevent HIV transmission among non-married people? Can God use condoms to prevent viral load from increasing in a married couple where one spouse has been unfaithful? Would/Could God allow a condom to protect a man who has sex with other men from acquiring HIV?

It comes down to how you let your worldview influence the way you see problems and solutions.

If I were the enemy

If I were the enemy I would create a horrible disease affecting the poor, marginalized, and underprivileged in society.

I would create the disease so it would slowly destroy the immune system of healthy people in 6-8 years so that no one would know they are infected until too late.

I would create the disease to mimic individual DNA so that a vaccine couldn't be developed.

I would create the disease so that it would affect young moms and dads who then couldn't care for their children and of course having the side benefit of wiping
out the most productive population in society.

I would create the disease so that it could be transmitted to babies in order to provide them with a slow, painful death within 5 years.

I would let it affect a continent that only produces 1% of the economic productivity in the world so that no one else would really care.

I would create it to be a sexually transmitted disease.
Then I would let it be discovered in gay people first to ensure a stigma would be attached to it.
By that time most Christians could justify not caring and they wouldn't get involved.

And of those Christians who decided to get involved I would distract them with controversial issues about sex and condoms and make them question their own morality and those with the disease.
I would distract them by providing a ton of conferences for them to go in order to make them feel like they are doing something.
I would ensure that Christian leaders would come out saying that it is God's judgment on those awful, immoral people.

And of the Christians who are helping and trying to make a difference I would have the other Christians judge them, not listen to them, and discriminate against them.

And then I would call it HIV/AIDS and sit back and watch 14,000 unassuming people get infected every day.

It would be one of my greatest accomplishments in history.

I am back! I'm pretty sure I've never seen so much of the United States of America than in the last few weeks.

First trip: To Boston and Grand Rapids, MI to see some wonderful friends and go to an amazing conference.
Second Trip: It was wonderful to go out west to South Dakota, Wyoming (Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons), Montana, and Minnesota with my family!
Third Trip: All through North Carolina (including the Cherokee Reservation that my GPS took me through) and TN to visit more friends!

I also have big news: I am have accepted a fellowship with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as a program manager in Vietnam for at least a year. So I am now employed!

Through August I will continue writing about HIV/AIDS. I hope that you will continue to join the discussion.