Tunde, a bright high school student, whose life goal was to become an entrepreneur and eventually a business owner in Victoria Island, and had visions to change the society. He was the eldest son of a large family. One day some of his friends invited him to a party; where they began to drink alcohol and eventually became drunk. Each of his friends went off to sleep with girls and strongly encouraged him to do likewise. Tunde gave in and followed their way. During the intercourse he used a condom which slipped off in the act. After that he said to the friend. “I wonder if you have AIDS!” his friend answered with looking alarmed, “People with AIDS get sores all over their body, lose weight, and get all kinds of special diseases like TB, cancer and pneumonia. They always die. It’s a miserable way to go. You had better check with a doctor”… few years later Tunde was died for AIDS.
We don’t want to die like Tunde and are longing for a zero-transmission circumstances as well as a AIDS free world. The whole world is looking the clinical solution by discovering vaccine, and or stopping through widely use of condom! But is it really possible to stop? If I say ‘NO!’ you may be speechless! After knowing my opinion you may reject me as a crazy person, as did one of my favorite teachers. When I expressed my ideas during discussion on AIDS prevention, he was fired, scolded and stridently pushed out from his room, ‘I don’t like mullahtontro (militant thinking), you now can go….’. My teacher believes and promotes the culture of ‘sexual freedom’. I was too shocked from this rejection, and reconfirmed; am I right in my position as an development activist? Is my ideas support the establishment of human dignity? The teacher refuse my ideas considering as a ancient, backdated and religious solutions. But I have strong confidence, there is no alternative way. Only considering the dark side of religions and traditions, it should not deny the goodness. The bright sides of religion advanced the civilization, protect the human kind and its society by developing formal shapes of moral and ethical values.
In order to root out the AIDS, of course we have to first find out the cause and the way of its spreading. According to the UNAIDS worldwide 85% HIV is transmitting by sex with HIV-infected partner and rest of 15% through sharing injection, drug needles, blood, birth or breast feeding by HIV positive mother etc. From UNAIDS findings it is easily understandable the main cause of AIDS is ‘misuse of sex’ that means ‘misuse of love’.
Not only my teacher but also including UN, most of all responsible activists and organisations are promoting the superficial solutions of AIDS. Sustaining movements against AIDS opens a great business for the condom and media company. It is the best time to promote the ‘culture of absolute sex’ instead of ‘safe sex culture’ through effective use media and ICT opportunities. I believe, sex is the most divine and joyful act of this universe by which human being come to the world. It should be practiced with the absolute standard. But nowadays it is contaminated and negatively influenced by the unethical media coverage and to much emphasissing physical desires. The ‘source of joy’ is converted now into a ‘source of suffering’! We have to awake up and open our eyes, and need to avoid the unconscious, just animal like sex practices which severely violate the women rights, child rights and rights of deprived groups. Many notorious terminologies, such as lesbianism, homo sexuality, heterosexuality, polygamy, abortion etcetera are getting popular in our lovely world. I sometime feel is it accusations of Satan? I am worried by following ‘individualism’, ‘free sex’, the ‘sex free’ movement may start soon to destroy the ‘purpose of creation’. The main purposes of life are to accomplishment of God’s blessing, that is to be matured individual, ideal husband-wife, responsible parents and citizen as well as leader who will take care the community and nature as like as his/her own family.
I am against to use of condom as it offers false sense of security. The main purposes of condom use are to do premarital illicit sex, protection of STDs, AIDS and unaccepted as well as planned pregnancy. Responsible sex educators don’t trust on condoms. In 2002 Global Health Council reported “Overall effectiveness for reducing sexual transmission of HIV through consistent use of condoms is approximately 80%. Condoms appear to be marginally less effective for reducing HIV transmission than for preventing pregnancy. In use by teenagers, condom failure is around 14% (i.e. one in seven). ”
Following 1960 there happen an explosive growth of STDs along with the expansion of free sex culture and moral degradations. Of that time there was only two types common STDs, both curable. But now there are more than two dozens STDs, some are deadly, some are incurable. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Panel (Report July 2001), “Condom does not prevent transmission of most STDs. There is no scientific evidence that condoms prevent the transmission of most sexually transmitted diseases. Just offer only limited protection of STDs, HIV (85% in each encounter), and gonorrhea for men, not women, syphilis, chancroid, trichomoniasis. Moreover the rubber comprising latex condoms has intrinsic voids (holes) about 5 microns in size. Contrarily, the AIDS virus is only 0.1 micron in size. Since this is a factor of 50 smaller than the voids inherent in rubber, the virus can readily pass through the condom.” How ever HIV is far, the ‘genital herpes’ also can not be protected by the condoms. Sexually active millions of teens (16 to 24 year-olds) infected with an STD each year and having an STD increases risk of HIV infection. Almost 70% AIDS patients are young whose are less than 30 years and sexually, unfortunately with HIV positive partners.
Former U.S. Surgeon General Koop says, “Young people must be told the truth…the best way to avoid AIDS is to refrain from sexual activity until as adults they are ready to establish a mutually faithful monogamous relationship.”
Yet Muslims as well people of religious world that follow the moral and ethical life is in hopeful position. By default Muslims and religious persons practice the absolute sex compare to western world, only within life partner ‘husband and wife’ with strong commitment and responsibilities. Even though Islamic countries don’t have sufficient ability and knowledge to maintain healthy life, but have lowest record of condom use, AIDS and STDs transmissions.
We have to also change our attitude to solve negative images. Regarding this photographer Dayanita Singh says “In the initial years of HIV in India, the only visible groups that could be ‘forcibly’ tested and studied were the sex workers, professional blood sellers, drug users and truck drivers. Journalists, such as me also followed the trend, and we all created the AIDS stereotype that led to the stigma that still plagues HIV in India. So the myth is AIDS = drug-users/ sex with sex workers, generally the so – called ‘dregs of society’. With such stigma, very few can be open about their status of their own free will. The disease is traumatic in itself, but the prejudice that accompanies it is perhaps even more so. The government and many ‘socially conscious’ groups created more misconceptions, rather than awareness, with their negative campaigns. …”.
Today the ‘misuse of sex’ is not only limited within the commercial brothels and prostitution but also cultivating openly. Through the information dissemination it is established, HIV can not transmitted by the ‘casual contacts’. We have no fear to accept the ‘positive lives’ in the workplace and everyday life. Do we really love and respect the effected persons as needed? Generally AIDS effected person and family don’t get normal community support and respects.
To solve the AIDS epidemic we have to give up ‘free sex culture’ as it exposes a high risk for HIV/ AIDS, STDs and betrayal in peers as well as breakdown the peaceful family relationship. Moreover it increases selfish attitudes, individual suffering with regression, guilt, lack of self-respect and self-esteem by lusting original characters. The lack of trust in relationship; most of case creates frustrations and loveless edgy situation. Because of this many young spirits take drugs, and decision for suicide.
My opinion, the absolute solutions is to evict the AIDS epidemic are return to family, practice of true love and follow traditions of religion(s) as well as moral and ethical life. From my expressions you may think I am a religious person. But I am not a Mullah, not a Shadu, not a Priest, not a Rabbi; but want to be a religious more than religious by following the Principles which is unique combination of Science and religions. However, it is sure, if we can concentrate to the maturity of our personality and true family culture through practice ‘living for the sake of others’ principle, an exotic source of success, joy and happiness will start in our life and society.
The conclusion is, presently more than 40 million are affected into AIDS in which number was in 2001 near about 5 million. 24.8 million already died from these diseases and everyday 14 thousand are effecting by this diseases. Almost half populations of some African countries are already HIV positive. If we don’t take proper initiatives in proper time, some nations will perish as passed way mentioned in biblical history because of sexual promiscuity. Regarding this Global Internet community and new media networks can play the most important role through quick information discriminations and by rising up the universal consciousness.
1st December, AIDS day-2003
References:
• A proposal to eradicate AIDS : IEF, 2003
• http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/aidspractice.html
• Report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the findings of a scientific panel on AIDS/HIV prevention, July 2001
• http://www.globalhealth.org/assets/publications/condoms.pdf
• http://www.unaids.org/Unaids/EN/Geographical+area/By+Country/Bangladesh.asp
• http://www.drik.net/positivelives
• Cultivating heart & character in the family and school, IEF, 1998
Note: this article has been published in TakingItGlobal on March 13, 2004