[afro-nets] Heterosexual transmission of AIDS grossly exaggerated

[A. Odutola <chpss_abo2@yahoo.com>]

Africa: Heterosexual transmission of AIDS grossly exaggerated
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FYI: A viewpoint that will not go away!


HIV transmission through heterosexual sex in Africa, United
States 'seems grossly exaggerated', Opinion piece says

Copied as "fair use".

The proportion of HIV cases in Africa and the United States at-
tributable to transmission through heterosexual sex "seems
grossly exaggerated," Michael Fumento, a senior fellow at the
Hudson Institute and author of "The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS,"
writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

Three "renegade" scientists -- John Potterat, who began working
for the El Paso County, Colo., health department in 1972 and
initiated the first U.S. partner-tracing program for HIV/AIDS;
Stuart Brody, soon-to-be full professor of psychology at the
University of Paisley in Scotland; and David Gisselquist, an ad-
viser to India's government on HIV/AIDS -- "for years" have been
insisting that no more than 33% of Africa's HIV/AIDS cases have
been caused by heterosexual intercourse, Fumento writes.

According to Brody, "contaminated punctures from such sources as
medical injections, dental injections, surgical procedures,
drawing as well as injecting blood and rehydration through IV
tubes" contribute to a greater proportion of HIV cases in Africa
and are causes of transmission that are preventable, Fumento
writes.

However, the World Health Organization and other agencies are
"toeing the line" by saying that 99% of Africa's HIV/AIDS cases
are caused by sexual transmission -- mostly heterosexual --
showing that "once a paradigm has been established it becomes
much easier to justify than challenge," according to Fumento.

Fumento concludes that although it would be difficult for scien-
tists to admit that they were wrong about how HIV is transmitted
in Africa, "for the sake of millions in Africa and other under-
developed areas threatened by massive new infections, we had
better admit it now" (Fumento, Washington Times, 4/24).

Source: Kaiser Daily HIV Report. 04/25/05
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=29564

--
A. Odutola
mailto:chpss_abo2@yahoo.com