India Learns from Uganda: New AIDS Strategy to Focus on Abstinence, Fidelity

July 31, 2008

NEW DELHI, July 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the only national programs

ever to effectively combat HIV/AIDS was the Ugandan ABC program, which focused

on abstinence and being faithful to one partner. Now the Indian national AIDS

committee is adopting this same approach in their effort to curb HIV/AIDS rates.

A spokesperson for India's National Council of Educational Research and Training

(NCERT) told the media yesterday that sex-education taught to students will

focus on abstinence and fidelity, not condoms and 'safer sex.'

This announcement came after a meeting involving officials from NCERT and the

National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), who, under the guidance of

director-general Sujatha Rao, have advocated fighting AIDS with values, not

condoms.

" There will be no mention of condom or safe sex in the revised module on

life-skill education program. But we will be focusing on the aspirations of the

youngsters and will also talk about being faithful to one's partner and

abstinence. There should be no hypocrisy on the subject, " said Rao, as reported

by the Indian press.

" The youngsters need to get the right information. The children are growing in

an unsafe environment, " she added.

Originally a module was created to introduce sex-education into Indian schools

to fight the spread of AIDS that promoted condoms and 'safer sex' techniques.

The module, however, which included a flipchart with graphic illustrations of

the human anatomy, was met with a nationwide uproar that led to seven states and

many educationalists rejecting it.

The module was formulated under the direction of the UN Children's Fund

(UNICEF), which is known for dumping condoms into developing nations as a means

of fighting AIDS, despite hard data that shows no country has ever significantly

reduced their AIDS rate using this method.

Before the new module receives final revisions, which are slated for October,

secretaries of state, NGOs, as well as teachers and parents will be given a

chance to review its contents and provide feedback.

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