Study: Condom Use Increasing in Africa

LONDON— Amid all the dire warnings about the AIDS pandemic, researchers announce some good news: Young African women report they are increasingly using condoms with their partners.

The Lancet is the British journal that published this new study. Eighteen different African countries were studied from 1993 to 2001. The study was composed of 132,800 women 15-24 years of age and the changes in their sexual behavior. Although the topic of the study was not focused on abstinence, there were still some (rare) rates that changed (very little). As for condom usage: it more than tripled! From 5.3% in 1993 to 18.8% in 2001. Obviously, this percentage is not high, but the increase is noteworthy – hopefully a trend that will continue to occur. So far, there has been an average increase of 1.4% per year.

“It’s not rapid enough, but if that increase continues or even accelerates, it’s bound to make a dent on HIV transmission” – John Cleland, a professor at London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who conducted the study along with Dr. Mohamed Ali of the World Health Organization. I believe this statement is true – though it isn’t rapid it is definitely making an impact.

A student at Lagos, Princess Chukwuma, compared condom usage and an insurance policy: “You don’t know about men,” the 24-year-old said. “Maybe they go with other girls behind your back and you can’t tell.” This is not the first time I’ve read anything like this, but every time I do, I am saddened. How is this so? We can only hope that this pattern will not spread — even to the U.S. What ever happened to faithfullness? Abstinence? Moreover, what has happened to this world?