An AIDs awareness worker in Zimbabwe showing truck drivers the correct way to use condoms Nick Danforth led a PowerPoint discussion on how to improve the roles of men, particularly African men, in the sexual and reproductive health of women. In particular, he dissected the debate about ABC (or Abstinence, Be faithful and use Condoms) policies to encourage abstinence among youth, being faithful among couples, and condoms if not A or B. As part of his 20-year effort to design and evaluate programs to educate men about reproductive health, Nick described projects like the campaign of the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and other anti-AIDS organizations. Their goal is to complement prevention programs for women and girls with work that more directly involves men as well. "The time is ripe to start seeing men not as some kind of problem, but as part of the solution," declared a 2000 UNAIDS report.
Nick's conclusions:
A and B behaviors are crucial in determining HIV prevalence. All three ABC behavioral changes are optimal to affect HIV, but A and B must be there. Evidently A and B can be promoted through interventions resulting in partner reduction and delay of sexual debut.
However, some people will always engage in high-risk sexual behavior, and so need condoms.
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