…that I’ve forgotten that most people think condoms are a good thing that will help solve the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
Of course, they don’t help solve it, and in many ways they make it worse, just as Pope Benedict said. Prophetic. The culture and the world hate it. He says it anyway. Experts from Harvard agree with him.
Dr. Green:
The accepted wisdom in the scientific community, explained Green, is that condoms lower the HIV infection rate, but after numerous studies, researchers have found the opposite to be true. “We just cannot find an association between more condom use and lower HIV reduction rates” in Africa.
Dr. Green found that part of the elusive reason is a phenomenon known as risk compensation or behavioral disinhibition.
“[Risk compensation] is the idea that if somebody is using a certain technology to reduce risk, a phenomenon actually occurs where people are willing to take on greater risk.” The idea can be related to someone that puts on sun block and is willing to stay out in the sun longer because they have added protection. In this case, however, the greater risk is sexual. Because people are willing take on more risk, they may “disproportionally erase” the benefits of condom use, Green said.
Claiming to be a liberal himself, Green asserts that promoting Western “liberal ideology” where, “most Africans are conservative when it comes to sexual behavior,” is quite offensive to them. Citing his new book, “Indigenous Theories and Contagious Disease,” Green described Africans as “very religious by global standards” who are offended by “trucks going around where people are dancing to ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’, tossing out condoms to teenagers and the children of the village.”
You know when liberal Harvard doctors and the Pope are agreeing, something is going on that is deeper than the media’s knee-jerk reactions.
You cannot defy God’s plan for love and marriage and hope to have it solve problems. Contraception, why not?
This positive post brought to you by melancholic-choleric Devin deep in the penitence of Lent. 
We worked with Ted Green quite a bit at The Medical Institute. He worked extensively with USAID during the Bush years but I would guess he is having trouble getting in the door now. Because as much as Obama tries to say he is driven by science and not ideology, his movement against Uganda’s ABC policy says otherwise. I am naturally optimistic, but this is one area where I am hard pressed to maintain optimism. I fear the next few years in AIDS prevention will be devastating (likewise for pro-life issues). Let us pray for miracles – and do what we can to bring them about!