Gambian president claims he has a cure for AIDS (2 Viewers)

[RobLe]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17244005/

Scary since the claim is that the people receiving the treatment have to stop taking their other meds for it to work.

 

[MikeH1]

hmmmm....

 

[Chu Gai]

What can one expect in many of the countries of Africa? South Africa's president and health minister subscribe to the notion that garlic, oil, herbs and vegetables represent a cure. Various tribes have beliefs that having sex with a young girl, presumably pure, cures illnesses. Zimbabwe's constitution was amended to recognize the existence of witchcraft. The late Pope was against the use of condoms as a means of prevention. Good luck Gambia.

 

[Henry Gale]

So?

 

[Holadem]

A number of official US documents and institutions including the constitution implicitly recognize god. I don't see the difference -- or the relevance.

Sub-saharian africa is a biiiiiiiiiiiiig place. Every once in a while you're gonna get a bizarre story like that, but that's hardly the norm.

--
H

 

[Chu Gai]

Yes, President Mugabe is doing a bang up job running the country, advancing education, improving the economy, and addressing his country's AIDS situation.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Here's a thought: what if the people who already have AIDS would just stop having sex with those who don't?

 

[AjayM]

How do a HUGE number of those people know they are infected? Once infected, how many more people have they infected until they realize they are sick, what caused it, and how it is transfered to other people? How do you break the teachings of many previous years, an outsider coming and saying "Don't have sex with other people" vs the teachings of a trusted elder saying "Have sex with a pure woman to cure yourself" and the results aren't going to be satisfactory.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Assume someone is infected until proven otherwise.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Or just sterilize your genitals in boiling water for 3 minutes.

 

[Chris]

The reality is what I tell people here.. before you have sex with someone, have both of you get a damn test. It's free and you can get results pretty quickly anymore. That way, you can still be "safe" but you know in the background that if your safety net isn't as bulletproof as you wish, there isn't a panicked need for drama.

That, and I've pretty much given up sex with known druggies, hemophiliacs, and streetwalkers. Sure, old habits die hard, but you have to give up something, it's lent after all.

 

[KurtEP]

I've tried that a few times, it just dulls the sensation too much. :frowning:

 

[Scott L]

That's not the only thing that's hard

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I want a better invention: a foghorn that screams b******t everytime you press it.

 

[Chu Gai]

In a recent study conducted in males from Uganda and Kenya, they found AIDS infection was greatly reduced by circumcision. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/4575453.html

While the study was carried out by the NIH, the head of the WHO was very encouraged. His name? Why, Dr. de Cock.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

I thought Pete Townshend was head of the Who.

 

[DanielKellmii]

It has to be true.... the President found it on the Internet.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Chris, alas, it isn't that simple in many parts of the world. I spent several days at a conference last year talking with african researchers who are trying to promote safe sex amongst the most at-risk groups. Amongst the problems they face:

(1) life is so short for many of working class africans that getting AIDS is seen as an acceptable risk (just think how shitty your life has to be to believe that)
(2) whatever the experts say is contradicted by local beliefs
(3) an unbelievable level of 'it won't happen to me' mentality
(4) lack of education means that many bits of advice re: prophylactic medicine (in all sense of the word) are simply not understood
(5) lack of availability of routine screening and a refusal to take screening anyway as it implies a slur on someone's reputation
(6) quack cures promoted by respected authority figures (do not underestimate the power of tribal loyalties in Africa)
(7) lack of funding for education programmes and specialist help (I know of at least one excellent education programme that was cancelled because the blunt choice for the health ministry was either pay a respected US professor to come over and do their stuff or conduct a vaccination programme for an entire province - guess which won out)

 

[Bill Cowmeadow]

To add to Andrew's comments;

In 3rd world/politically/economically devestated countries where famine and starvation are the rule for many, the only thing people have left that actually feels good is sex.

You can't take that away.

 

[Malcolm R]

Which further enhances the famine and starvation through a high birth rate. If you're not willing to help yourself....