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Black Leaders Urge Fight Against AIDS
The program, however, calls for at least 30 percent of the funding earmarked for prevention to go toward abstinence programs. Clinton noted that abstinence should be part of the prevention cocktail.
"This program has done way more good than harm," he said of Bush's AIDS program.
  Ugandan delegates to the 16th World Aids Conference in Toronto perform a play depicting AIDS-related service delivery in market communities on Monday Aug. 14, 2006. (AP PHOTO/CP, Frank Gunn) (Frank Gunn - AP) Save & Share |
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"An abstinence-only program is going to fail and in the end you're going to wind up being in a cruel fix," Clinton said. "On the other hand, I think if you want the benefit of that American money ... then it's a mistake to walk away from that message altogether. It's just that you can't do abstinence only."
Abstinence is a touchy topic that angers AIDS activists because they say many women in developing nations have no control over their male partners.
Jodi Jacobson, of the Center for Health and Gender Equity in Washington, said that Clinton's comments raised eyebrows among some delegates.
"There's no reason for the U.S. government to dictate to any other government what it should do to prevent the single greatest factor in HIV treatment," she said, noting that 80 percent of the new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa were due to unprotected sex.
The abstinence-until-marriage earmark leaves out the population at greatest risk _ young women and girls.
In a roundtable discussion, Clinton and Gates, whose foundation has given more than $1 billion to fight AIDS, said they believe the disease is one of the greatest heartaches of their generation.
"It's a breathtaking human tragedy," Clinton said.
Gates said his priorities are the development of a vaccine and drugs to prevent infection, such as microbicides that would empower women in developing countries.
"If we had a tool for women to use, like microbicides, I think that would change the course of this disease and we would finally start to have years where you would see less infection," Gates said.
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16th International AIDS Conference: http:/
Black AIDS Institute: http:/