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Best way to avoid HIV/AIDs
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The Phil. Daily Inquirer published ALFI’s letter to the editor on December 20, 2004, where we expressed concern about the “MTV Staying Alive Music Summit for HIV/AIDS” staged on December 1 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. This rock concert was co-presented by UNAIDS, Globe Gentxt and Frenzy Condoms. It’s said to have been attended by 50,000 youth who were attracted by the featured bands.
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One of the event’s sponsors, Frenzy Condoms, said, “The correct and consistent use of condoms is the most basic HIV prevention approach.” ALFI reacted by writing, “We believe events such as these mislead our youth into a false complacency about HIV/AIDS and what condoms can do.” ALFI quoted from the prestigious medical magazine Lancet, which said that experts from 36 countries have signed a document recognizing that abstinence and fidelity are key to stopping the spread of AIDS.
The experts say that HIV-AIDS has become a health and humanitarian crisis that requires urgent intervention. They also say that the use of condoms is not enough to stop the spread of AIDS, and that abstinence should be promoted among young people, emphasizing that avoiding risks is the best way to prevent AIDS and many other sexually transmitted infections, as well as unwanted pregnancies.
The experts insist that condoms are not 100% safe: "Young people and adults should know that condoms reduce the risk of infection from 80-90% when they are used consistently.” This means that even when used each time there is sexual contact, condoms do not guarantee against HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
ALFI’s message: Parents, we must assume our responsibility in the passing on of values and expectations related to the sexual behavior of our children. Let’s not give up the fight. Let’s challenge our youth, rather than discussing abstinence and then suggesting they have back-up protection -- effectively a go-signal for ‘unsafe sex.’
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