Abstinence, Fidelity, Cultural Issues, and Cultural Change

Abstinence from sex until marriage and faithfulness after marriage is frequently promoted as a means of preventing HIV transmission, and if both partners are both abstinent and faithful, it will be effective. However, abstaining from sex until marriage is often the exception rather than the rule, and a partner who abstained can contract HIV from one who did not. Honest communication is critical. In many cultures, discussing sex is taboo, which contributes to HIV transmission. Changing cultures requires cultural sensitivity. Educating people about HIV itself and letting them develop culturally specific responses may be most effective. This video is freely downloadable from http://www.archive.org/details/aidsvideos_pj_cultural . Visit http://AIDSvideos.org to learn more. [Do you want to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS? Are you fluent in a language other than English? Then volunteer to translate a video into another language! Click http://AIDSvideos.org/translate.shtml to to learn how you can help!!!]