Comments on: True life

By: Alejandro De La Garza

Alejandro De La Garza — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:45:36 +0000

Upon reading Phyllis Guest’s review of “Tinderbox: How the West Sparked the AIDS Epidemic and How the World Can Finally Overcome It,” one thing caught my attention: the authors’ claim that “mass circumcision” will “stop the epidemic in its tracks.” This would be about as effective as abstinence-only sex education and faith healing. HIV is a blood-born agent. If anything, circumcision will add to the crisis by giving uneducated, HIV-positive men the false notion that they’re cured of AIDS. It’s the latest myth spread in the debate over male genital mutilation, which is what circumcision really is. If intact foreskins were a prime culprit in the spread of HIV, then AIDS would be rampant throughout Europe and Australia where most men are uncircumcised. But, it’s not – and that’s simply because most people in those regions are relatively well-educated and have access to quality health care. Even in parts of Asia and Latin America – where standards of living only slightly exceed those in Africa – AIDS is not endemic. There’s an inherent tone of bigotry and sexism with a bunch of well-educated, mostly White, mostly female American and European doctors and social activists telling poor, illiterate Black men in Africa that they need to have part of their penises removed. Education about HIV is key to preventing further infections. Empowerment of all people – especially women in the most hard-hit regions – is also critical. Physical amputations of any kind are only a proverbial bandage for a gunshot wound.

By: Phyllis Guest

Phyllis Guest — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:32:40 +0000

Moments after I picked up the March 30, 2012 DV at Oak Lawn Library and headed home, KERA broadcast a BBC report on AIDS in Swaziland, which has long had the highest infection rate in the world.

Apparently, some churchmen now counsel condom use and HIV testing. However, most pastors and their parishioners still believe in faith healing. (Well, hey! The laying on of hands has worked so well thus far.)

Meanwhile, of course the churchmen will have nothing to do with LGBTs. They consider us beyond the pale, mired in sin, and already condemned by god.

By: Hugh7

Hugh7 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:25:29 +0000

It is hardly surprsing that Daniel Halperin advocates circumcision. He claims he was destined to do so by his descent from a ritual circumcisor. He has been working behind the scenes to make it policy for several years, on the basis of three closely linked trials that have numerous flaws. Circumcision, even without multiple partners will certainly not “stop the epidemic in its tracks. At best it may slightly reduce the transmission from women to men but as http://tinyurl.com/7deqtap shows, this may not be the issue at all. In parts of Africa we see the worst of both worlds – the Catholic Bishops of Malawi encouraging circumcision while denouncing condoms.

By: Phyllis Guest

Phyllis Guest — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:24:08 +0000

ON March 30, 2012, moments after I picked up the DV at Oak Lawn Library and headed for home, a BBC radio reporter spoke of the toll AIDS still takes in Swaziland, which has long had the world’s highest infection rate.

Apparently, a few churches now counsel condom use and HIV testing, but most pastors and their parishioners still believe in faith healing. (It has worked so well thus far?)

And they refuse to even acknowledge that LGBTs are worth saving, for they consider us beyond god’s law.