Just say no success?

[pupdog]

I saw a claim posted on the Internet that Uganda has had great success in decreasing the rate of AIDS cases thanks to a strong program of preaching sexual abstinance (from 30% to 4% in 10 years). In contrast, sex education in America was described as little more than a wink and a nod, and, therefore, ineffectual in the fight agaist AIDS.

Does anyone know if the claim about Uganda is true (documentation)? If so, does it involve rewards and/or punishments? Were any other factors involved in reducing AIDS infection rates in Uganda?

[Jon_in_london]

I wouldnt think there are any rewards/punshments other than getting/not getting AIDS.

Its worked in Uganda but it failed in South Africa because the Ugandan president doesnt keep banging on about how AIDS doesnt exist and even if it does, it was created by martians!

[richardm]

Originally posted by pupdog
I saw a claim posted on the Internet that Uganda has had great success in decreasing the rate of AIDS cases thanks to a strong program of preaching sexual abstinance (from 30% to 4% in 10 years). In contrast, sex education in America was described as little more than a wink and a nod, and, therefore, ineffectual in the fight agaist AIDS.

Does anyone know if the claim about Uganda is true (documentation)? If so, does it involve rewards and/or punishments? Were any other factors involved in reducing AIDS infection rates in Uganda?


It's partly true, but not the whole story.

According to the World Health Organisation (http://www.who.int/inf-new/aids2.htm) , most of the decline is likely to be due to the increase in condom use, which has been boosted from 7% nationwide to 50% in urban areas and 85% in rural areas.

The abstainence rate has increased in 15 year olds - 50% of them have never had sex, as opposed to 20% a few years ago. But at the same time, teenagers are reporting more condom use than any other group.

It's all about sex education, mostly about condoms, only partly about "not doing it".