Clemente Ferrer
According to a study, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal by Renee Heffron (University of Washington), the use of hormonal contraceptives increase the risk of women in contracting the AIDS virus. www.thelancet.com
Previous research studies reached the same conclusion; however, the latter one is much more credible. The study was conducted by closely following 3,790 marriages; a strategy which allowed researchers to observe and carefully follow AIDS transmission from men to women as well as from women to men. The people who collaborated with the study come from seven African countries: Botswana, Kenya Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
If the hormonal contraceptive is used through injection, then the risk of woman-to-man transmission is of 2.64%, while from man-to-woman increases to 6.86%. When it comes to birth-control pills, the percentages are 5.94% and 2.50%, respectively.
According to the New York Times, the World Health Organization (WHO) has summoned a meeting with the aims of examining these statistics. Experts will discuss whether or not there is enough evidence that prove these studies in order to proceed unto informing women about these risks. www.nytimes.com
Other state authorities from different countries have been motivated to follow the example. Governors from Kenya and Zambia prefer educating their peoples in order to convince their aboriginal populations to change their sexual habits by promoting post-marital fidelity as well as pre-marital abstinence. www.sinsida.com
According to the Global Summit of the Ministries of Health, human values, spiritual values, human rights, and human dignity must all be respected and abided by in order to prevent the spread of AIDS.
The deadly virus continues without a cure. According to Nature Medicine Magazine, AIDS affects more than 33 million people worldwide. www.nature.com
Pope Benedict XVI advocates that “fidelity and chastity” make up the only secure path unto eradicating AIDS in Africa. www.wordpress.com/category/sexualidad
(Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez Moretti)
Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing. He can be reached at clementeferrer3@gmail.com