Comments about ‘U. scientists work on HIV prevention’

Why is a state university developing products that will lead to and encourage sexual promoscuity? It would be far better to promote the values that would stop the spread of AIDS in the first place, such as: chastity, fidelity, and morality.

JCS

Because woman have no rights when there husbands want them in these countries. They are getting AIDS because they have no options.

Contrary to popular belief, products that protect women from pregnancy and illness do not promote promiscuity. Women choose not be promiscuous for reasons other than fear of pregnancy and illness - and products like this serve a purpose other than preventing promiscuity.

As Anonymous stated, many married women in other countries have no rights - and their husbands won't use condoms to protect them. This gives them the right to protect themselves. (And, in cases like this "chastity, fidelity, and morality" are your cultural conceptions/definitions - not theirs.)

A state university is working to develop this because those involved in the project understand the workings of the world and the need for such a product.

John Charity Spring: Are you for real? Maybe lived in Provo your whole life or what?? Come on...teach chastity, fidelity...? Geez...

Good job U scientists--keep it up! Give women more options, empower the powerless and hopefully break patriarchal orders down over time too.

This is a flawed idea and I agree with the previous poster about why is the State supporting such projects along with the other liberal controversial projects such as Stem Cell research.

As for this technology aside from all the moral implications, condoms male or female versions already work and that is best protection against most STDs and unwanted pregnancies.

Developing a virus specific polymeric gel is impractical and I really wonder what the clinical protocol would look like in order to test its purpose.

As a sociologist, I've studied sexual behavior and prostitution in third world countries and in the United States and it has been determined that such products need to be tailored to address the risky behavior engaged by prostitutes and their customers. By all accounts, this product simply won't would not be acceptable in a practical sense. Condoms are the best option while it still has the stigma of encouraging promiscuity.

Quoting a familiar saying often heard from the popular TV show 'House'..."You're a moron."

Disease has never been a good deterrent to sex!

This type of research and education together will be the answers to curb AIDS, etc. in countries with cultural challenges.

It seems to me there are plenty of people preaching abstinance- we do not need to pay more people to do that- and it should be the job of the parents anyways. If someone wants to hear that message, they will. But this sounds like great research which could help alleviate a world plague.

Kirkpatrick and JCS

A better solution would be what Lorena Bobbit did. THese women in Africa getting AIDS and other dieases get them from their HUSBANDS who they are married to. It is the MEN who are the problem. They don't believe they should wear a condom, sleep with woman who are not their wife and then bring back all the diseases and give them to their wife.

There is also the Virgin myth where AIDS is cured by using a virign. I wish I was making this up, but I am not. Many young girls are raped and infected as a result. Men are entirely to blame for the AIDS epidemic and women get it easier.

Any product that protects vulernable women and the spread of AIDS should be applauded.

I think the point is that this product is unlikely to work for most STD and pregnancy issues. The issue is ignorance in these disease plagued nations. Training them to use a cumbersome and likely uncomfortable and inconvenient method is to no avail.

I think JCS is being sarcastic. Bravo. These women are dying & leaving orphans because their husbands are promiscious & refuse to use condoms. This is a great step with one drawback, who is going to pay for this? Keep in at the U & non-profit so that people in Africa can actually benefit from it.

This is great technology. The other issue that is much more difficult to tackle when trying to decrease HIV infection rates in Africa relates to rape. Rape is prevalent in Africa and in many places is seen as a right of males to dominate women in this way. In the grand scheme of things this technology is a much smaller step towards lowering HIV infection rates than is being advertised.

I’m not here to preach abstinence nor purport to be a goody two shoes person. What ever works is fine by me and right now practicing safe sex with condoms both female and male are what works.

I’ve done both Church and Peace Corps missionary work in some of the red zones in Africa and I can tell you that the main way to address the “prevention” HIV problems there is through education and not to introduce a perverse product like this that seems to “fit the mold” so to speak of their current ignorant sexual behavior.

We cannot generalize the problems in some of this diseased ravaged Nations. However, the big problems like any other place relates to teen prostitution. It is an unfortunate fact. Some girls even know they have it but don’t care if they pass it along to their customers. Often it can pass through oral sex but the common entry point is through the rectum. At this vantage point, this gel that hardens with seminal fluid is just that not practical, particularly with the complete array of the STD problems all over.

The drive to reproduce is far stronger than the fear of STD. Androgen toxic men will not change. Live with that fact and act accordingly. HIV research will benefit innocent women and will result in advances in the fields of immunology, virology, cancer, etc.