Europeans Reject Abstinence Message in Split With U.S. on AIDS

A World AIDS Day statement released by the 22 European Union member states urged developing nations to use every HIV/AIDS prevention tool, including sex education, sexual/reproductive health clinic access and distribution of condoms and clean needles, to slow the epidemic. While not mentioning the United States, the statement is in disagreement with US global AIDS policies, which oppose clean needle distribution and, critics say, promote abstinence over condoms and restrict access to reproductive health services.

"We are profoundly concerned about the resurgence of partial or incomplete messages on HIV prevention which are not grounded in evidence and have limited effectiveness," said the statement, released under Britain's EU presidency. "We, the European Union, firmly believe that, to be successful, HIV prevention must utilize all approaches known to be effective, not implementing one or a few selective actions in isolation."

The evidence shows what works, from anti-stigma campaigns to supplying condoms and clean needles, said Hilary Benn, UK international development secretary. "It is very important that those messages are heard loud and clear by everybody."

Asked whether the UK disagreed with the US focus on abstinence, Benn said, "Abstinence works if people can abstain, but I don't think people should die because they have sex." "We need to make sure people have all the means [of prevention] at their disposal, condoms and clean needles. It includes education and access to sexual and reproductive health services. We are very clear about that."

In August, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis accused the United States of "doing damage to Africa" by cutting condom funds in Uganda while promoting abstinence. And Uganda first lady Janet Museveni recently equated condoms with theft, murder and pushing teens into sex. The government's shift is being attributed within Uganda to the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

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