HIV Prevention Programs: Fidelity, Abstinence, US Fund Allocation A Waste?

HIV prevention programs that encourage marital fidelity and abstinence from sex has been given an amount of $1.4 billion by the United States government. However, no proof has been established yet from these programs regarding the positive effects of modified sexual activity and reduced risks of HIV, according to a study.

Other HIV initiatives, including the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief, which was established in 2004 to help local programs promote sexual fidelity and delay of first sexual experience, failed to provide evidence on the effects of the change in sexual behavior. While PEPFAR has slowly reduced its support for fidelity and abstinence programs, recent study implies that the $50 million left in its annual funding may have helped more if spent on the more effective prevention programs.

Ineffective use of HIV funds has negative effects since it channels the money from other efficient efforts like male circumcision and ways to avoid the spread of the HIV infection from mothers to children, according to Dr. Eran Bendavid, senior author of the study and Stanford's assistant professor of Medicine, Scope Blog reported.

Although PEPFAR has had a few successes, including the  reduced rates of mortality and the 740,000 saved lives in nine countries between 2004 and 2008, its first requirement that one-third of its funds be used for abstinence was highly criticized. Some critics doubted if the method would be effective and claimed that emphasizing on these approaches alone will deny the people of information regarding the other possible options like male circumcision, the use of condoms and methods to avoid spread from mother to children.

HIV prevention programs in these developing times should be given support in terms of investing in an alternative and evidence-based approach, as it was found in the study that fidelity and abstinence initiatives could not reduce the high-risk sexual behaviors. The authors also took note that PEPFAR has welcomed the idea of discussing these findings as well as the suggestions for funding decisions concerning the programs on HIV prevention, according to San Diego Union Tribune.