Scientists Seeking AIDS Grants Warned Against Controversy

[tonyb]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/18/na...18GRAN.html?th

Scientists have been warned to keep their grant applications from containing certain controversial topics, such as "sex with other men" or "sex workers".

Four more years!

[tonyb]

Looks like they want to keep straight white people safe from AIDs/HIV, screw anyone else.

[muffmuff]

This is what happens when people vote fundies into office.

[DJ_Jay_Hunter]

OMG - you guys have KitKat too....

FAB!

On the straight white thing - lots of Fundamentalist Christians beleive AIDs has been sent down by the Almighty specifically in order to eradicate homosexuals.

Fucking idiots.

[DJ_Jay_Hunter]

Thabo Mbeki (SA President) and the SA govt. have a policy of not widely distributing AIDs drugs ostensibly because of concerns over cost and side effects, although many believe it's really caused by Mbeki's unconventional views on AIDs. Nelson Mandela has been studiously opposed to the policy, but has not openly criticised the Government over it, fearful of undermining Mbeki's authority.

He never planned to attend the march on Parliament, and certainly has not stopped it - it proceeded as planned on the opening day of Parliament in Febuary. He did, however, ask them not to use his picture to promote the march, as he would not be there. They did anyway.

Mandela has been a supporter of using any and all means nescessary to combat the AIDs epidemic in Africa, albeit a subtle one - he does not wish to use his position (he has retired from politics, after all) to undermine the government's position. He is also a committed republican, remember.

I don't think Mandela's acted disgracefully, I think the SA governement has - Mbeki himself does not even believe the link between HIV and AIDs - the "unconventional views" I mentioned earlier. Mbeki is also suspected of capitalising on Mandela's innate loyalty to the ANC by putting pressure on him to be silent on the issue.

[DJ_Jay_Hunter]

And do you have Twix bars, too?

[killshot]

one thing that sucks about the programs providing aids drugs to africa
is they are refusing to also provide sex education .. such as using condoms and stuff...

it would cost far less in the long run if they just tought people about safe sex and provided them with contraceptives...
but once again... drug companies come out on top...
there is more money in not solving the problem

[DJ_Jay_Hunter]

There are vast cultural differences between African and European/North American Caucasian societies. It is no wonder we find it hard to understand the continent's apparent unwillingness to help itself out of this disaster.

Safe sex and contraception are anathemic concepts to many African tribes and cultures, as they were (and still are to some extent) in our 'enlightened' lands. Superstition and magic still play a influential part in many Africans' lives, more so than the government, in many cases. Science simply does not hold the sway over their worldview as it does ours. Also - in Africa, government is sometimes rather disconnected from the people.

"They" are refusing Africans sex education? Who is this diaphanous "they"? If you mean their governments, that's just not true - most African governments have quite advanced facilities for sex education, and in most urban centres there is adequate schooling. It is the tribal elders in rural areas that are causing the problems.

It's hard to force people to eductate themselves if they do not wish to learn, and especially if that learning is against what they believe. It is one thing to deny someone an education - it is entirely another to refuse one offered.

Drug companies have been slow to offer discounts, it is true, but they are commercial entities, after all, and their shareholders cannot be expected to fund the World's disease programmes. They do spend HUGE sums of money on medical research that would otherwise NOT be done. If profits are cut, R&D budgets are always the first to go. There goes an awful lot of genetic therapy and drug research. I'd rather we find a cure to cancer than a cure for AIDs, at least the spread of AIDs is manageable with the measures we have listed, Cancer pays no attention to such arbitrary boundaries as class and wealth.

Western imperial and economic greediness is not nescessarily the cause of all the woes in the world, the African cultural melange is as much, if not more responsible for this epidemic as anything.

[muffmuff]

We are talking about a place where thousands of men broke into peoples homes and raped six year old girls in a very short amount of time. Why? Because they were told by tribal leaders that if they had sex with a virgin that they could transfer the disease to the virgin. And you want to talk about education? 'fraid not, homeboys.... religion wins again and in doing so, thousands of little girls were raped and given HIV.

[killshot]

"They" are refusing Africans sex education? Who is this diaphanous "they"? If you mean their governments, that's just not true - most African governments have quite advanced facilities for sex education, and in most urban centres there is adequate schooling. It is the tribal elders in rural areas that are causing the problems.

I am specifically talking about a lot of the organizations that our government is giving money to to help fight aids in africa..
the money will only go to drugs and clinics and not sex education
a lot of these organizations are christian based and dont want sex education for the same christian reasons they dont want sex education in our schools...
i read an article way back with names and details
but i dont recall where it is.. if i find the specifics again i will post it

It's hard to force people to eductate themselves if they do not wish to learn, and especially if that learning is against what they believe. It is one thing to deny someone an education - it is entirely another to refuse one offered.

that is true
and it will be a hard task to educate them
but in the long run it is the best option to slow down the spread of aids
at the current rate huge portions of africa will be completely wiped out in one or two decades... some african countries already have over 30% of their people infected.. that is a huge percentage..

Drug companies have been slow to offer discounts, it is true, but they are commercial entities, after all, and their shareholders cannot be expected to fund the World's disease programmes.

true.. what worries me is that so much R&D will go into finding ways to just keep people alive with aids.. rather than a vaccine or a cure

i dont blame the drug companies for wanting to make money
it just sucks when people are donating money to a cause that will ultimately go to a drug company rather than really helping the problem

Western imperial and economic greediness is not nescessarily the cause of all the woes in the world, the African cultural melange is as much, if not more responsible for this epidemic as anything.

that is true.. but it is certainly in our best interest to stop aids wherever it is out of control because otherwise eventually it will hit much harder closer to home.. and aids will completely devistate this world if something isnt done to slow it down or stop it rather than just treat it