Uganda AIDS prevention: A,B,C and politics.
Uganda is one of the few countries in the world that has experienced a significant reduction in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence over the past decade. In contrast to many of its neighbors, Uganda has had an explicit national policy that includes: Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condoms. This strategy, known as "A,B,C," has garnered wide attention in the United States as the efficacy of abstinence-based sex education is debated. This commentary is based on published and unpublished data together with personal observations derived from a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)-led delegation to Uganda in December 2002. The empirical bases for both an abstinence-only and a combined (A,B,C) strategy is reviewed; and the political consequences of the debate for both Africa and the United States are explored.
Blum
Robert W
RW
Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-2002, USA. blumx001@umn.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States