National HIV/AIDS Programme Coordinator Julie Frampton said the introduction of a vaginal gel to reduce the spread of the deadly disease is good news.
A new topical gel has been shown to reduce the rate of HIV infection by nearly 50 per cent in women, according to a study being presented at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.
The gel contains the antiretroviral drug tenofovir, which prevents the virus from multiplying.
Frampton said the HIV/AIDS unit will work towards introducing the gel to Dominica.
“Anything new that’s good and that we can use and afford will be introduced. Hopefully through the United Nations it would be made available to all countries but affordability is always an issue,” she said.
Chair of the Global Steering Committee of the World AIDS Campaign Dr. Allyson Leacock, who addressed the International AIDS Conference this month, stressed that further study of the gel is needed to confirm the study’s results.
We should be happy for anything that reduces the spread of AIDS.
But obviously the real problem here is single women who are committing fornication; women who have husbands who are having sex with other women, or women who have bi-sexual husbands. Women have husbands who are on the down-low. There is no danger of a sexually transmitted disease in a monogamous marriage. So here is the bottom line: The vaginal gel solution is a way of letting people break God’s moral laws without suffering the censequences.
The Gel gives 50% protection against AIDS but:
(a) It offers no protection against the other sexually transmitted diseases.
(b) It leaves the woman 50% unprotected against AIDS.
(c) It gives a false sense of security. Now there are women who don’t make their partners use a condom. With the gel they will think they have even less reason to do so.
What ever happened to the no sex before marriage and no sex with anybody but your spouse policy? I think it is called chastity. I refuse to believe that any nation or population has fallen so low and is so depraved that their young people are not strong enough to wait until marriage! If we think they are not able to wait we are selling them short.
If chastity – God’s moral code – was taught in the homes, preached in the churches, and reinforced in the schools by adults who exemplified these Biblical standards as it was 100 years ago in most Christian nations you would see a radical change in society.
A return to God and the Book is the only answer. You will not find the answer in a box of pills, a bottle of medicine, OR a tube of gel!
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Pentecostal Evangelist.
IT IS QUITE STUPID TO MAKE THE PUBLICITY OF A GEL WHICH REDUCES THE CHANCES OF GETTING AIDS.IT ONLY REDUCES NOT TOTALLY PREVENT IT. IT IS OF NO USE ;YOU ARE ONLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TAKE SILLY RISKS IN LIFE.IT WOULD BE BETTER TO TEACH ABSTINENCE INSTEAD OF REFERRING TO THE GEL BECAUSE AIDS MIGHT COME TO ANY BODY’S DOOR BECAUSE THEY WERE STUPIDLY ADVISED,,,,USING CONDOM IS ALREADY TAKING A RISK ,THEY CAN BE EITHER BAD QUALITY OR THEY CAN BURST.NEXT THING TEACH COUPLES TO BE SINCERE TO EACH OTHER AND STOP MESSING ABOUT BECAUSE SEX IS A SERIOUS MATTER.
i think this gel and the use of CONDOMS are great… it’s about time we start talking about this awful disease… both men and women need to protect ourselves…. instead of being negative..
plz …
yes i am no scientists but why should any one be interested in using a product which has a ratio of 50/50 effectiveness especially one that relates to AIDS. I personally believe there is a cure for AIDS is just that they have it under raps because they make so much money from selling the drugs that will slow down the virus. Just think of it ,a doctor can prevent a feutus that is inside an infected woman from getting the virus but they cannot cure the mother. What about Magic Johnson who has been living with so said HIV for over Ten years. I thought that you could not out living the virus for more ten years.Maybe it is misinformation i dont know. At the end of the day, it might seem like foolish talk but i believe that cure for AIDS is sold to those who can afford to pay Millons for it and they are contracted to keep silent about it. People should redirect the living if they already having sex stick to the partner i not telling nobody to do have sex is the person choice but if we were just a little more vigilant the virus would have stoped spread a long time ago. every one who had it would have died out long ago.
To all sex machines , take it easy, make proper judgement when the sex needs arise..
else the libido will malfunction for life!
Well , although I can think for myself, I still want to hear what my priest and Bishop have to say about that gel business dere.
It just sad to see children that under 25 years looking past their useful life – like they burning their candle from both ends.
Take it easy , have a plan for all u life. If u fail to plan your life the u plan to fail in life – child on shoulder, who holding shirt, fada not no where and red clinic getting more patients. Skerrit have too much on his hands and I doh hear no allocation in this year’s budget for gello. Dat is a next year vibes.
GOSH YOU DOMINICANS ARE SO IGNORANT.JULIE IS JUST TRYING TO HELP OUT THE SITUATION. MY GOD U KNOW CONDOMS ARE THE BEST BUT REMEMBER THEY CAN BURST, SO ADDED PROTECTION MAKES IT BETTER.
WOW ITS AMAZING HOW NEGATIVE WE CAN BE WHEN IT COMES TO HIV AND ITS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE MAIN MODE OF TRANMISSION IS SEX, PEOPLE WE ARE SEXUAL HUMAN BEING GET OVER IT, LIKE IT OR NOT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE SEX SOME MORE THAN OTHERS SOME FREAKIER THAN OTHERS NEVER MIND ITS STILL SEX AND IT COMES WITH ALL THE RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE UNWANTED PREGNANCY AND STI INCLUDING THE GREAT HIV, JULIE IS SIMPLY PROVIDING OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, SHE IS NOT IN YOUR BEDROOM, YOUR CAR, BY THE RIVER, IN THE GARDENS OR WHERE EVER ELSE YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE YOUR SEX, SHE NEVER SAID DO NOT USE A CONDOM, OPTIONS PEOPLE OPTIONS. ENJOY YOUR SEX PEOPLE BUT BE RESPONSIBLE, LORD KNOWS A GOOD SEX CAN RELEASE NUFF STRESS.
How is this sending out the wrong information??? Isn’t it always better to have more information as opposed to less?
My question is: Can this jel be effective for use in the rectum? We are in a society with an increase in homosexual activity, particulalry by men who engage in sexual activities with other men. Furthermore, many women engage themselves in that form of sexual activity.
USE A CONDOM IT IS 98% EFFECTIVE>>>>>>>>STAY AWAY FROM GELS>>>>50% SAFE IS NOT SAFE<STAY AWAY
People don’t get careless and go out there sleeping around and having sex with whoever. It says the rate of HIV infection is reduced by NEARLY 50% in women who used this gel. So think of what happened to the rest who still used this same gel? Women be safe and don’t risk it with your health and life.
In my mind this vaginal really is of no help to women who are already affected and furthermore , medication is needed to render the virus ineffective once it reaches the body- not some gel that
reduces the spread by 50% . we are back where we started and that is little hope for women whose husbands and boyfriends have sex all over the place.
Note well that there are more than one drug used in the treatment of HIV and the vaginal gel just has one anti-viral drug, what does that say ?
I will not be very suprised when this study is retracted because the desired outcome was not satisfactory.
At the end of the day, we have to continue to advise the youth to protect themselves if they are going to have sex. The gel is a good back up, but I believe that we should continue to educate our people on the virus, how it is spread and how we can play a role in protecting ourselves. Obviously the best way is to abstain, but we all know that abstinence is a great in class theory, but it is not practical. Let’s be wise, condomize, and gel to help you be well.
every body go and have sex without condoms!!!!!! just use the gel (it just like lube) and you will not get much AIDS. lol
my point is this sends the wrong message
@sensible: That was not a very sensible comment. People will ‘sex’ as you say, whether or not this gel is provided. The gel simple gives added protection. Be sensible about your comments sensible!
That just encouraging people to go out there and sex more!