Circ and HIV? - Page 2

[sakartvelogirl]

I will add the book to my reading list. I actually work in int'l public health (including on projects working on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment in several African countries) so the topic is interesting for me.

I'm still uncomfortable with any analysis that attempts to specifically link a community's problems with its culture. It's a dangerous precedent from which to operate. There are many cultures that have relatively low HIV transmission numbers (outside of the African continent) where men having more than one sexual partner is either accepted or encouraged, so it's sort of hard for me to fully accept the soundbite you've quoted.

I'll have to read the book to see if it somehow changes my mind.

For the record, I'm appalled by the public health community's embrace of the whole circumcision-prevents-HIV-transmission thing.

Thanks for the book suggestion.

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by sakartvelogirl

I will add the book to my reading list. I actually work in int'l public health (including on projects working on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment in several African countries) so the topic is interesting for me.

I'm still uncomfortable with any analysis that attempts to specifically link a community's problems with its culture. It's a dangerous precedent from which to operate. There are many cultures that have relatively low HIV transmission numbers (outside of the African continent) where men having more than one sexual partner is either accepted or encouraged, so it's sort of hard for me to fully accept the soundbite you've quoted.

I understand the hesitancy, you'll have to read the whole book to get the complete context. Considering your work, I think you would really enjoy it. It's been over a year since I read it and she does touch on a number of issues (though she focuses on concurrency) to discuss in particular why HIV is so much more prevalent in parts of Africa than in most of the rest of the world. Even similarly poor countries in other parts of the world aren't impacted nearly as much. She goes in to a number of issue, but I won't ruin it for you. I do have at least one personal theory on why things are as they are in Africa (as opposed to other places you might know where concurrent relationships are encouraged) which I'll discuss with you if you're interested.

Originally Posted by sakartvelogirl

I'll have to read the book to see if it somehow changes my mind.

For the record, I'm appalled by the public health community's embrace of the whole circumcision-prevents-HIV-transmission thing.

Thanks for the book suggestion.

I think it will, she has really done her research and has been working in those areas and HIV research since the early 90s. I am glad to hear your stance on the circumcision advocacy. Considering your work I think you would have a lot to contribute to this board, why do you only have 3 posts? Also if you're interested in the circumcision/hiv topic visit circumcisionandhiv.com, a weblog (where I contribute) and where we discuss the problems with it and its advocacy.

ETA: I add this only because you mentioned you worked in that area but one of the things she also cites as problematic is Western agencies trying to impose their solutions on the problem without really understanding the culture. Something that continues even today vis-a-vis circumcision. Another example is that in many places the push for condoms was misinterpreted to be understood that HIV was only a problem with prostitutes and others on the lower rung of life. She believes it has to be the Africans themselves who develop the strategies. Something Uganda did successfully.

When you do read it, if you want to exchange ideas on it, let me know.

[sakartvelogirl]

I will definitely read it, thanks. Why do I only have three posts? I don't know -- I guess I sort of go through phases where I'm online more or online less. I'm in an "online more" phase at the moment.

I will also check out the weblog, thanks for sharing it.

As for the bit about Western agencies not always getting it right -- yes, that's really the thorn in the side of all "development" work. There is an interesting book coming out on 3/17 by Dambisa Moyo called Dead Aid. She's an African (from Zambia I think) economist and the book talks about why aid to Africa hasn't worked very well...I won't try to summarize the book anymore because I haven't read it...but the NYT magazine did an interesting profile on her a few weeks ago. I think you can google it.

It's a difficult topic to argue because aid isn't just given out for humanitarian reasons -- there's foreign and economic policy goals embedded throughout -- so foreign aid probably won't ever go away. Whether or not one agrees with that, for me the question is how can we get it right within the existing paradigm.

Anyway, thanks again for the book title -- looking forward to reading it.