AIDS: Nothing learned

Casual sex and misconception is changing the trend in the fight against AIDS.

Once, the African nation Uganda was celebrating big successes in the fight against AIDS. Meanwhile, the positive trend is taking a turn back. Many believe that the disease has become curable - they quit using comdoms.

Although Ugandans have an active sex life they stop using condoms. Even those with regularly changing partners. Many women are more worried about getting an allergie from the latex than getting infected with HIV. Unprotected sex is once more part of everyday life. 

The numbers speak volumes. During the 1990s the epidemic in Uganda reached its peak with 18% of the population being infected with HIV. Many died, as no medication was available.

Due to ambitious and expensive campaigns, the government and international organisations managed to reduce the number to 5% by the year 2000. The message was "abstinence, loyalty and condoms". Today the number has once more increased. Now 7.3%, 1.4 million people, are infected with HIV. 200,000 more people.

If the trend goes on like this, then there will be 700,000 newly infected people in the coming 5 years. 

The attitude towards AIDS has changed. People are asking "Why should I use condoms? shall I die without  children?"

One of the main reasons for the carelessness is the widespread misbelief that the drugs used to control AIDS can actually cure them from there HIV infection. Therapies can slow down or at best halt the development of AIDS, but the virus that can cause it stays.

Condoms are not used because they enjoy it without. Even the infected don't care. They know that in the past people died after a  short  period of time, but nowadays with medication they can keep on living a more or less normal life. Therefore they don't see any reason to use protection. Should they infect someone, than that person can simply take some drugs. A dangerous misbelief. 

Many AIDS campaigns are also misinterpreted. Studies had shown that circumcision, even at older ages, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission. Instead of using condoms, men got circumcised, believing that they had now become no risk.

A young African was quoted "We are proud of our circumcision, because we don't get AIDS anymore and can enjoy our sex life."

It is important to make everyone clear:

Someone taking medication can still transmit the virus. 

AIDS is still  incurable!