Divergent views on use of condoms

BANGKOK: Delegates were deeply split over condoms on Monday, with Uganda’s leader drawing criticism for insisting they are less effective for HIV prevention than campaigns to promote abstinence and loving relationships.
President Yoweri Museveni’s comments on the second day of the International AIDS Conference were in line with the policy of US President George W Bush but at odds with a majority of researchers and AIDS activists at the meeting.
Condoms have been promoted as a frontline defence against AIDS by countries such as Thailand, where a campaign to get sex workers to insist on condoms yielded a more than-seven-fold reduction in HIV rates in 13 years. An epidemiologist tracking Asia’s emerging epidemics told conference delegates that additional countries— including China and Bangladesh—face HIV problems largely driven by prostitution, and that promoting condoms is best to block further spread.
“I disagree with (Museveni)... Condoms are greatly short-changed in Africa as a prevention method,’’ said Tim Brown, of the Hawaii-based think tank East West Center.
“If you increase condom use by 50 per cent, I guarantee you that HIV will go down by 50 per cent.’’
Uganda has waged a successful battle against the spread of HIV in a rare success story for sub-Saharan Africa—though some experts say it’s unclear how that success has been achieved.