Catholic organizations, according to the Vatican, provide about a quarter of the world’s health care to those living with HIV and AIDS. Representatives of many of the groups who provide that care were present at AIDS 2008. One, Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-sponsored confederation of some 200 national and local Catholic social service and development organizations, organized a get-together Tuesday evening at a local Catholic human rights center.
As I arrived, fashionably late, but still well before the evening’s events got under way (the traffic in Mexico City and the local phenomenon known as Mexican Standard Time meant we started almost an hour after we were supposed to), I was greeted by Father Robert J. Vitillo, the special adviser on HIV and AIDS to Caritas. He blanched when I introduced myself, but graciously welcomed me. I sat down with two people who had been at our session the previous day, “Good Catholics Use Condoms” who welcomed me warmly.
By the time we started with a prayer and introductions, more than 100 people had gathered to eat, drink and discuss how the conference was going and how their own work could be improved.
Guest speakers included the secretary general of the Young Women’s Christian Association, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, a Catholic from Zimbabwe who lost three siblings to HIV and AIDS and Sally Smith from the UNAIDS Civil Society Partnerships, who diplomatically noted that while UNAIDS and the Catholic hierarchy have some disagreements to work out, they must continue to forge ahead and collaborate as much as they can.
This quiet but implicit criticism of the Catholic hierarchy’s teachings against the use of condoms became on of the major themes of the evening, with several speakers expressing how upset they were that when the Catholic church was mentioned during the AIDS 2008 conference, it tended to be in a critical voice that ignored all the great work that Catholic organizations did. (The other focus was the creation of a network for Catholic groups that work in the field to communicate better.)
However, a Ghanaian priest and a Maryknoll sister from Central America, who ministers to sex workers, both seemed to question whether the hierarchy’s position on condoms and prevention was a viable one. The Ghanaian priest suggested the church needs to develop a theology of condomization as it related to HIV and AIDS.
While there were no explicit repudiations of these voices, Fr Vitillo and Monsignor Gabriel Penate (as bishops are called there) from Guatemala as well as other church officials brought the issue back to all the good work that Catholic organizations do with people living with HIV and AIDS. Fr Vitillo promised to follow up with everybody on the issue of a new network, and the evening drew to a cordial close.
DN
Friday, August 8, 2008
Trangendered Confusion
Senator Tom Coburn’s conflicted relationship with the global battle against HIV and AIDS took another turn Tuesday when he released a statement denouncing US government expenditure on the AIDS 2008 conference.
Credit where it’s due, Coburn supports funding the fight against HIV and AIDS, despite his self-declared and very public battle against anything he regards as unnecessary and wasteful government spending. He regards PEPFAR as “America's most significant foreign policy accomplishment since the Marshall Plan” and when he was in the House, he supported a law that sought to limit mother-to-child transmission of HIV as well as the reauthorization of the Ryan-White CARE Act. So far, so good.
It’s also true, however, that while the PEPFAR legislation is flawed (criticism of many of its flaws has appeared in previous editions of this newsletter), Coburn was on the wrong side of most if not all of those flaws. Conscience clause? He supported its expansion. Clean needle-exchange programs? Against. De-stigmatizing sex workers and men who have sex with men? Against, with bells on. Funding for abstinence-only education? Decoupling family planning assistance? Big thumbs up from Senator Tom. As I said, in every battle, Tom was on the wrong (if sadly, triumphant) side.
However, Coburn’s condemnation of the $450,000+ the US government spending is way off base. In whose world is it wasteful to send representatives of the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to the world’s largest conference on AIDS? Welcome to Senator Tom Land. (And, truth be told, the $9,500 that the government spent on its prime-location, four-square, stand-alone booth was a steal, given the amount that booths were going for.)
Sure, we all have ideas to make these events better. And putting 25,000 people in one space is a sure-fire recipe for a few missteps, though the ones Coburn picked out were a mite strange. Specifically, he highlighted a ‘Sex Workers Mini Film Festival,’ (darn, missed it) and a session by another group of sex workers who have the temerity to be “proud” of their work. A workshop on sex after a positive HIV diagnosis also came under fire, as did, mystifyingly, a session titled “Good Catholics Use Condoms: How to Answer the Tough Questions Surrounding HIV/AIDS Prevention and Religion.” (Full disclosure: I was part of the team that presented at that workshop.) His spies though, were clearly overcome by the event, or perhaps merely over-sensitive to the potential presence of transgendered people. They saw a woman moderating that one, when everybody present could clearly see that Jon O’Brien is a man. As we all know, silly mistakes like that take away from whatever message we seek to get across.
His sign-off, “Talk or treatment? Conference or care?” presents a dichotomy that simply does not exist. These conferences provide so many rich opportunities to network with and learn from our colleagues that we simply cannot afford to let them pass without taking full advantage. As a doctor, Tom should know that. As the self-styled guardian of American’s tax dollars, there are many, many better targets than AIDS 2008. Give me a call, Tom, I have a list ready.
David Nolan
Credit where it’s due, Coburn supports funding the fight against HIV and AIDS, despite his self-declared and very public battle against anything he regards as unnecessary and wasteful government spending. He regards PEPFAR as “America's most significant foreign policy accomplishment since the Marshall Plan” and when he was in the House, he supported a law that sought to limit mother-to-child transmission of HIV as well as the reauthorization of the Ryan-White CARE Act. So far, so good.
It’s also true, however, that while the PEPFAR legislation is flawed (criticism of many of its flaws has appeared in previous editions of this newsletter), Coburn was on the wrong side of most if not all of those flaws. Conscience clause? He supported its expansion. Clean needle-exchange programs? Against. De-stigmatizing sex workers and men who have sex with men? Against, with bells on. Funding for abstinence-only education? Decoupling family planning assistance? Big thumbs up from Senator Tom. As I said, in every battle, Tom was on the wrong (if sadly, triumphant) side.
However, Coburn’s condemnation of the $450,000+ the US government spending is way off base. In whose world is it wasteful to send representatives of the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to the world’s largest conference on AIDS? Welcome to Senator Tom Land. (And, truth be told, the $9,500 that the government spent on its prime-location, four-square, stand-alone booth was a steal, given the amount that booths were going for.)
Sure, we all have ideas to make these events better. And putting 25,000 people in one space is a sure-fire recipe for a few missteps, though the ones Coburn picked out were a mite strange. Specifically, he highlighted a ‘Sex Workers Mini Film Festival,’ (darn, missed it) and a session by another group of sex workers who have the temerity to be “proud” of their work. A workshop on sex after a positive HIV diagnosis also came under fire, as did, mystifyingly, a session titled “Good Catholics Use Condoms: How to Answer the Tough Questions Surrounding HIV/AIDS Prevention and Religion.” (Full disclosure: I was part of the team that presented at that workshop.) His spies though, were clearly overcome by the event, or perhaps merely over-sensitive to the potential presence of transgendered people. They saw a woman moderating that one, when everybody present could clearly see that Jon O’Brien is a man. As we all know, silly mistakes like that take away from whatever message we seek to get across.
His sign-off, “Talk or treatment? Conference or care?” presents a dichotomy that simply does not exist. These conferences provide so many rich opportunities to network with and learn from our colleagues that we simply cannot afford to let them pass without taking full advantage. As a doctor, Tom should know that. As the self-styled guardian of American’s tax dollars, there are many, many better targets than AIDS 2008. Give me a call, Tom, I have a list ready.
David Nolan
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Nigeria – the next CFC?
We have made a new friend here at the IAC—a Catholic Nigerian who discovered he loves our work. Yesterday he came back to the booth three times, each time bringing a different set of friends along with him to take our World AIDS day survey and collect materials. It’s great to see people so excited about our message that they’re sharing it with friends here at the conference.
With all of the materials he and his friends have, they could probably start a new CFC branch! What do we think?
Erin
With all of the materials he and his friends have, they could probably start a new CFC branch! What do we think?
Erin
It Takes a (Global) Village
This morning, I headed down to the Global Village to check out some of the exhibitions. CFC’s booth is in the general exhibition hall, along with other global NGOs and large stands sponsored by countries like Brazil, the Netherlands and South Africa. The Global Village is outside the Banamex center in a large tent and has a bit more of a spirited, chaotic feel.
The Village brings together activists from all points of the globe – many with calls to decriminalize sex work, make ARVs free and accessible and stop homo- and trans-phobia.
As I strolled the halls, I saw three different protests—one large one for the use of condoms, complete with condom balloons and energetic chants, another a full Mexican funeral for those who have died from lack of Antiretroviral drugs—you can bet the pharmaceutical representation was not too pleased.
I stopped by CDD-Mexico’s booth for its National Catholic Network of Young People. Their campaign for the IAC is really great—using passages from the Song of Songs celebrating human sexuality (“May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples”) to argue that “pleasure is not a sin. Risking your and your partner’s life is.”
While the exhibition hall has a monopoly on policy makers, the activists in the Global Village lead the fight among the people for action on HIV/AIDS. I always think that for true change, you need both parties involved. Thanks to the IAC for bringing us together!
Erin
The Village brings together activists from all points of the globe – many with calls to decriminalize sex work, make ARVs free and accessible and stop homo- and trans-phobia.
As I strolled the halls, I saw three different protests—one large one for the use of condoms, complete with condom balloons and energetic chants, another a full Mexican funeral for those who have died from lack of Antiretroviral drugs—you can bet the pharmaceutical representation was not too pleased.
I stopped by CDD-Mexico’s booth for its National Catholic Network of Young People. Their campaign for the IAC is really great—using passages from the Song of Songs celebrating human sexuality (“May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples”) to argue that “pleasure is not a sin. Risking your and your partner’s life is.”
While the exhibition hall has a monopoly on policy makers, the activists in the Global Village lead the fight among the people for action on HIV/AIDS. I always think that for true change, you need both parties involved. Thanks to the IAC for bringing us together!
Erin
Kudos for the Condoms4Life Session
People have been accosting presenters from Monday’s Condoms4Life Skills Building Session—in a good way. All of them have had kind words, telling us how much they enjoyed the workshop and how much they learned.
Yesterday, a man from the Bronx stopped by our booth with some accolades for the workshop and enthusiasm for our mission. This was no SRHR activist, but someone in the science and research field. So why was he in our workshop and not one analyzing blood or testing facilities? Turns out he had stumbled in by mistake, liked what he saw, and stayed for the full three-and-a-half hours! And, he confided, he learned way more at our session than he would have at the other one.
DN
Yesterday, a man from the Bronx stopped by our booth with some accolades for the workshop and enthusiasm for our mission. This was no SRHR activist, but someone in the science and research field. So why was he in our workshop and not one analyzing blood or testing facilities? Turns out he had stumbled in by mistake, liked what he saw, and stayed for the full three-and-a-half hours! And, he confided, he learned way more at our session than he would have at the other one.
DN
Under Fire
The single-minded opposition of some condom opponents was displayed on the streets of Mexico City this week, with horrifying results.
Mexican newspaper La Reforma reports that anti-condom activists, led by Jorge Serrano Limón, organized a protest outside the United Nations office earlier this week against the promotion of condoms to prevent HIV transmission.
As part of the protest, the group piled up condoms and pro-condom publications in a brazier, poured alcohol over it and set it on fire. Standing by were other protesters with a pair of fire extinguishers emblazoned with “Abstinencia” (Abstinence) and “Fidelidad” (Faithfulness). Their message appeared to be that condoms will add to the epidemic (read: the fire)—only abstinence and faithfulness have the power to stop it.
A protester holding the bottle of alcohol got too close to the fire and the bottle exploded—setting him on fire. Serrano continued his tirade against condoms, ignoring the fire extinguishers despite the fact that his associate was on flames beside him. Finally, another protester put the flames out and transported the injured victim to the hospital for treatment. For some, it appears, no price is too high in their “pro-life” battle.
DN/Erin
Mexican newspaper La Reforma reports that anti-condom activists, led by Jorge Serrano Limón, organized a protest outside the United Nations office earlier this week against the promotion of condoms to prevent HIV transmission.
As part of the protest, the group piled up condoms and pro-condom publications in a brazier, poured alcohol over it and set it on fire. Standing by were other protesters with a pair of fire extinguishers emblazoned with “Abstinencia” (Abstinence) and “Fidelidad” (Faithfulness). Their message appeared to be that condoms will add to the epidemic (read: the fire)—only abstinence and faithfulness have the power to stop it.
A protester holding the bottle of alcohol got too close to the fire and the bottle exploded—setting him on fire. Serrano continued his tirade against condoms, ignoring the fire extinguishers despite the fact that his associate was on flames beside him. Finally, another protester put the flames out and transported the injured victim to the hospital for treatment. For some, it appears, no price is too high in their “pro-life” battle.
DN/Erin
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
On the Road to Emmaus
Two Kenyan men came by the booth today, laughing as they approached.
“You are Catholic?!” they asked me.
I replied yes, and asked what they thought about that.
“Well, how can you be Catholic if you say abstinence has a high failure rate?” said one.
“Yes, if you say sex is sacred, it must be within marriage, correct?” said the other.
I responded that while we do not deny abstinence to anyone (it does work!), many people find that abstinence does not work for them. And if that occurs, we want them to be safe, protect themselves and their partner, and use a condom. We also believe that sex can be sacred both inside and out of marriage.
“Oh! I get it! Abstain, but if you are not perfect, use a condom. I agree!”
They proceeded to gather tons of CFC materials, thanking me for our presence.
Yet another conversion (of sorts) here at the IAC 2008.
Erin
“You are Catholic?!” they asked me.
I replied yes, and asked what they thought about that.
“Well, how can you be Catholic if you say abstinence has a high failure rate?” said one.
“Yes, if you say sex is sacred, it must be within marriage, correct?” said the other.
I responded that while we do not deny abstinence to anyone (it does work!), many people find that abstinence does not work for them. And if that occurs, we want them to be safe, protect themselves and their partner, and use a condom. We also believe that sex can be sacred both inside and out of marriage.
“Oh! I get it! Abstain, but if you are not perfect, use a condom. I agree!”
They proceeded to gather tons of CFC materials, thanking me for our presence.
Yet another conversion (of sorts) here at the IAC 2008.
Erin
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