LONDON, England (AP) -- The global HIV epidemic continues to expand, with more than 40 million people now estimated to have the AIDS virus, but in some countries prevention efforts are finally starting to pay off, the United Nations says.
For the first time there is solid evidence that increased efforts to combat the disease over the last five years have led to fewer new infections in some places, said UNAIDS chief Peter Piot.
Previously improvements had been seen in places such as Senegal, Uganda and Thailand, but those were rare exceptions.
"Now we have Kenya, several of the Caribbean countries and Zimbabwe with a decline," Piot said, adding that Zimbabwe is the first place in Southern Africa, the hardest-hit area, to show improvement.
These are all countries that have invested heavily in safe-sex campaigns and other prevention programs, with the result that prevalence of HIV among the young has declined.
Previously improvements had been seen in places such as Senegal, Uganda and Thailand, but those were rare exceptions.
"Now we have Kenya, several of the Caribbean countries and Zimbabwe with a decline," Piot said, adding that Zimbabwe is the first place in Southern Africa, the hardest-hit area, to show improvement.
These are all countries that have invested heavily in safe-sex campaigns and other prevention programs, with the result that prevalence of HIV among the young has declined.
"People are starting later with their first sexual intercourse, they are having fewer partners, there's more condom use," Piot said.
So let me get this straight, education, prevention programs and more condoms are attributed to decreasing the spread of AIDS in all these countries but even with all this information and the tools available people still have sex, even if it means their life. Yet there are people in this country who believe that they don't need things like condoms and sex education because the schools should just teach their kids to not have sex and that will solve everything. If the threat of AIDS and death hasn't deterred people then the possibility of having a kid that your parents will raise for you will not prevent our teenagers from having sex. Guess what? Teenagers have sex; that is what they are biologically designed to do and no one is going to be able to stop it. Do you think a teenager who can't be relied on to clean his room, cut the grass, not take guns and drugs to school can be trusted to not have sex with your daughter? Think again. Remember how horny and stupid you was when you were a teenager?
Condoms are not evil and Jesus won't take away your birthday if you provide kids with condoms in order to avoid AIDS and teenage pregnancies. You can teach abstinence all you want as long as you keep condoms available to the large number who will not abstain. It is no coincidence that the Bible Belt, the very people who are against condoms in schools, has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies, children born out of wedlock and poverty, within the United States.
Oh, and in case you forgot how to avoid AIDS, I will again share my AIDS prevention tips with you one more time:
How not to get AIDS:
Don't have sex, stay home and jerk off to skinamax half porn, or get a blow up doll.
Don't have sex with someone who has AIDS, even with a condom.
Don't have sex with someone who is bleeding out of their ass.
If you must have sex with someone, use a condom.
Don't have sex with people you don't know or just met in a mens room, George Michael included.
If you know of someone who has had sex with an AIDS victim, do not have sex with that person.
If you shun condoms because you "dont like the way the feel", ask yourself how a big dose of AIDS would feel.
If you want to have a good (long) sex life, find a committed partner that you can trust that has had an AIDS test.
Don't tag team some other guy's ass with a bunch of leather dudes you just met at a bar.
Don't have sex with someone who has ever been tag teamed.
Don't believe people when they tell you they don't have AIDS.
Don't frequent glory holes, either side.
Don't blow heroin addicts or crack heads in alleys.
Don't share needles with heroin addicts, more specifically, heroin addicts with AIDS.
Don't have sex with prostitutes, or a junkie prostitute with a bad itch.
If you are African, having sex with a virgin does not cure AIDS, it spreads it.
Dont' become "blood brothers" with someone who has AIDS
Don't be born in Africa.
Don't let herpes victims with open sores on their mouth give you a blow job, as these people tend to not be as careful and selective as someone such as me and may also have AIDS, though I will not blow you.
Don't let anyone cum on any open sores, cuts or orifices.
Do not become, or have sex with a porn star, more specifically a gay porn star that has violated my other rules.
If you do any of the above, get an AIDS test every week.
If you are a gay basher, don't make your victims bleed as the flailing blood may stain your Ted Nugent shirt, infect you and later, your fat girlfriend who lives with you in your double-wide.
If you are an NBA player, don't nail every white woman between L.A. and Boston that is trying to get knocked up by someone rich and famous.
If you are a Catholic priest, condoms are evil, fuck little boys who couldn't possibly have AIDS yet.
If you are an altar boy, don't hang out with priests alone.
If you are Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, don't mock God, he will punish you with AIDS.
If you're Bill Frist, a medical doctor and US Senator, don't let anyone sweat or spit on you.
If you are Tom Delay, rules obviously don't apply to you, feel free to do all the above.
P.S. These tips may also be effective in not getting knocked up when you are 14 years old.
