Wasting US Funds

President Bush's $15 billion effort to fight AIDS has handed out nearly one-quarter of its grants to religious groups, including a Christian relief organization famous for its televised appeals to feed hungry children (World Vision), a well-known Catholic charity (Catholic Relief Services), and a group run by the son of evangelist Billy Graham (Samaritan's Purse). Conservative Christian allies of the president are pressing the U.S. foreign aid agency to give fewer dollars to groups that distribute condoms or work with prostitutes. The Bush administration provided more than 560 million condoms abroad last year, compared with some 350 million in 2001. Secular organizations in Africa are raising concerns that new money to groups without AIDS experience may dilute the impact of Bush's historic three-year-old program.

"We clearly recognize that it is very important to work with faith-based organizations, but at the same time we don't want to fall into the trap of assuming faith-based groups are good at everything," said Dan Mullins, deputy regional director for southern and western Africa for CARE, one of the best-known humanitarian organizations."

Condom promotion to anyone must include abstinence and fidelity messages, U.S. guidelines say, but those preaching abstinence do not have to provide condom education. The abstinence emphasis, say some longtime AIDS volunteers, has led to a confusing message and added to the stigma of condom use in parts of Africa. Village volunteers in Swaziland maintain a supply of free condoms but say they have few takers.

"This drive for abstinence is putting a lot of pressure on girls to get married earlier," said Dr. Abeja Apunyo, the Uganda representative for Pathfinder International, a reproductive health nonprofit group based in Massachusetts.

So tell young girls and boys to not have sex, forcing earlier marriages; don't tell them about condom use and how it prevents disease transmission and pregnancy. Huh? When that doesn't work – is forced sterilization next? How about a little sanity and recognition that abstinence is not for everyone – no matter how much you force it on people?
Posted on The Human Stain