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Why does prevention work? Is it an issue of morality, or fear of disease?

It depends on where the person is coming from. In Zimbabwe I worked with a Scripture Union program that talked about abstinence as God's law, though we also talked about it as a public health issue—that God asks you to respect and care for your body, so you shouldn't expose yourself to disease. That worked there. But the USAID programs we support in Zambia come at it as merely the right way to live, also noting that it will protect you from disease. So there, it's a combination without a specific spiritual mandate. Still, it has been very effective.

Why do scholars and researchers object to abstinence and fidelity as a primary way to stop HIV/AIDS?

The public health community for a very long time did not believe that you could get youth to abstain or to wait. Because they did not believe it was possible to do it, they saw it as a philosophical or religious push.

What changed is that both in the U.S. and internationally, we're seeing data that people will change their behavior. They will choose to abstain or wait or stay faithful within marriage. And that does make a difference in disease transmission.

Some prominent Christian leaders such as Bruce Wilkinson, Rick Warren, Franklin Graham, Rich Stearns from World Vision, and Clive Calver from World Relief have recently seized on this issue. What do you see as their role in addressing the HIV/AIDS problem?

I think there's a huge role, because this is an issue that fits with the Christian message. And the prevention of AIDS fits with the righteous living and moral standpoint [of Christianity]. But equally important is the church's role in giving a message of forgiveness, of compassion, of caring for the sick, of caring for the widows and orphans; there's almost no part of the AIDS epidemic where the faith orientation doesn't have a very, very strong message. I think there is an absolutely huge role, and I am thrilled to see this outpouring of interest.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also posted today is a Charles Colson column on evangelical work fighting AIDS and international slavery.

Other CT AIDS coverage includes:

Beyond Condoms | To alleviate AIDS, we must sharpen our moral vision. (June 10, 2003)

A Strategy for Progress | Unless prevention of HIV/AIDS becomes a clear priority, things are only going to get worse. (May 2, 2003)

Civics for Gay Activists | We may see more die from HIV/AIDS because gay activists are intolerant. (April 10, 2003)

ABC vs. HIV | Christians back abstinence-fidelity plan against deadly virus. (March 10, 2003)

Jerry Thacker: Politics Muddies Fight Against AIDS | The politics of homosexuality has made it easier to battle the disease in foreign countries than domestically, says a former nominee to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. (Feb. 07, 2003)

Killing a Pandemic | The church may be best equipped to deal HIV/AIDS a crippling blow.

AIDS 'Apathy' Campaign Debuts | Yet Christian leaders say stigma, not neglect, is the bigger problem. (Aug. 28, 2002)

Bono Tells Christians: Don't Neglect Africa | He urges evangelicals to take a lead in fighting AIDS and poverty. (April 19, 2001)

U.S. Blacks Preach Abstinence Gospel | Mission workers testify that Christ helps control sexual urges. (March 27, 2002)

Health Workers Urge Indian Churches to Join Campaign Against AIDS | The Christian Medical Association of India fights the social stigma that accompanies the disease. (Nov. 21, 2001)

Mercy Impaired | Let's shock the world by reversing our apathy toward African sufferers. (September 27, 2001)

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February 2004, Vol. 48, No. 2