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Muslim Women on Condom Machines: “Don’t ruin our culture, Remove these machines”

By Gudrun Schultz

CHENNAI, India, December 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Attempts to install condom vending machines in India’s capital have met with fierce resistance by Muslim groups. Street protests followed the government’s announcement that it plans to install 500 condom vending machines in the capital and 1000 more throughout the state.

“We must fight AIDS, but these machines at public places will only promote sex outside marriage among the younger generation,” said MH Jawahirullah, head of the Muslim Progressive Party, in an interview with Australian News yesterday.

Strong conservative forces in the country have shown staunch resistance to efforts to adopt Western liberal policies towards life issues.

“The government is spreading condom culture through these machines under the pretext of fighting AIDS,” said Fatheema Jalal, convenor of one Muslim group. “By this, our society will get more permissive and our youth will be ruined.”

HIV/AIDS infection rates in India are second only to South Africa, with more than five million people carrying the disease. 

Condom use is at the forefront of India’s strategy for slowing the spread of the disease, despite research that shows condoms are far less effective than advocates claim. A 2003 study by the UN AIDS Program admitted that condoms have a 10% failure rate in preventing transmission of the virus, while other studies have found those numbers to be as high as 55 %. (For coverage of the UN report see: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jun/03062303.html)

India’s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) says of condom use: “The most successful and practical way to prevent the transmission [of HIV/AIDS] is the use of condoms. Condoms are not only affordable but also user friendly. “ The organization has been working with the Tamil Nadu government to bring in the condom vending machines as part of a program to promote condom use and availability. (For the full statement, go to: http://www.nacoonline.org/prog_condomprg.htm)

David Green, senior research scientist with the Harvard institute on Population Control, said in a report recently that condoms have not been found to be “user friendly,” despite advocates’ claims.  “Part of the proof of this observation is the disappointing low levels of consistent condom use after more than 20 years of condom promotion in the developing world.” (Baptist Press) A one-time condom advocate himself, Green now promotes the strategy of encouraging abstinence and faithfulness as the first weapons in the fight against the disease.

For related articles see:

New Research Confirms Condoms Not Effective in HIV Prevention
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jan/04011408.html
Brazil's 3 Billion Free Condoms per year to Prevent AIDS Will Likely Worsen Situation
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04081204.html

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