Risk Reduction or Abstinence - Which is Better for HIV Prevention?

Experts agree that HIV prevention is the key to putting an end to the epidemic. But where experts disagree is what type of prevention we should be teaching. One school of thought is to teach abstinence only; the best way to prevent HIV is to abstain from sex altogether. The other school insists abstinence only doesn't work and risk reduction, should be emphasized. Accept the fact that people will have sex and abstinence is very unrealistic in many situation. By accepting that premise we can tailor our HIV prevention messages to include safer sex, positive prevention, and condom use. So who is right? What should we be teaching? Does abstinence only teaching help prevent HIV? Do condoms and safer sex teaching only make things worse? Let's take a look at the debate.

The Importance of Positive Prevention

Current Status

Due to the political climate in the United States, abstinence only teaching seems to have the support of those who hold the purse strings; specifically the US government. The Federal Government provides a big share of funding for HIV prevention and recently there has been a big push to fund primarily abstinence only prevention programs. Because a large share of funding comes from the Federal Government, sex education curriculum in our schools is beginning to favor an abstinence only approach. As a result, safer sex and risk reduction messages are being lost and abstinence only programs are flourishing.

Funding is not the only way the Feds are pushing their abstinence only platform. Web sites from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have moved toward posting primarily abstinence only educational material. Due to the CDC's reliance on federal funding, they are being pressured to follow the platform set forth by the current administration.

Opponents have had little success convincing supporters of abstinence that there are benefits to teaching safer sex and risk reduction along with abstinence. Despite scientific data that supports prevention messages that include both, abstinence only continues to get a majority if not all of the funding.

HIV and STD Prevention - Condoms are the Key

Background

Depending on how they are being delivered, certain prevention messages reach certain populations. Limiting which messages are being delivered will result in populations that will not get a prevention message at all. In addition, using the wrong prevention techniques or those techniques that have not been proven to be effective could result in an increased HIV infection rate. The way to stop the spread of HIV is through prevention. If the prevention message is lost, the epidemic continues; it's as simple as that.

An Abstinence Only Message for Our Teens