In Haiti, Where Pleasures Are Scarce, U.S.-Funded Abstinence Campaign Gets Mixed Reviews

Activists in Haiti question whether money for an abstinence campaign funded by the Bush administration could be better spent in other ways. In the impoverished nation where HIV/AIDS has infected 5 percent of 8 million people, HIV is increasing among Haitians ages 15-24.

Fans of the abstinence campaign say Haiti can take a lesson from Uganda, where the "ABC" (Abstinence, Being faithful in a monogamous relationship, Condom use) message lowered the infection rate from 15 percent to 5 percent. However, Uganda has a stable government, economic growth and a literate population, conditions that do not obtain in Haiti. Half of Haitians are illiterate, most are jobless, and the government under Jean Bertrand-Aristide is unstable.

"When the lights go out in Haiti, people have sex," said James Picard, 25, an AIDS educator. "And if you know anything about Haiti, the lights go out often."

Of the $15 billion, five-year US AIDS package for 15 African and Caribbean countries, roughly $900 million is earmarked for abstinence programs. In Haiti, where girls generally start having sex at 13 and boys at 12, abstinence translates into a campaign aimed at children.

Although abstinence may be a tough sell, condom use is up. Last year, 14 million Pante condoms (Haiti's best-seller) were sold, up from 12 million in 2001 and 10 million in 2000, according to Paul Hamilton of Population Services International. Sales also rose for female condoms, particularly among sex workers whose numbers have risen as poverty deepens.

Although Hamilton's organization ordinarily promotes condom use, it currently spends more money on the abstinence campaign because of the Bush administration's directive. Delaying children's initiation of sex, even by just one year, can save lives, advocates say. But Hamilton said, "Behavior change in Haiti is more complicated than saying be abstinent, be faithful and wear a condom."

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