Potentially new, HORRENDOUS news... faster infecting HIV

[Japher]

Manufacturing support is much more stable. If you want to be innovative do so with techniques and methods.

[Ben Kenobi]

Bull****. They just don't follow YOUR religion to the letter of the doctrine YOU hold.

Uh, and what religion would that be Kuci?

He has a point. Look at the difference in AIDS transmission between northern and southern Africa.

[Dr Strangelove]

In areas of Africa where there are significvant populations of muslims, and christians HIV does indeed tend to infect christians at a higher rate than muslims. People of both types of religions tend to fool around alot, but muslims may be protected by the tradition of circumcision. Many muslim groups in Africa practice ritual circumcision, whie circumcision is relatively rare among Africa christians.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Uh, and what religion would that be Kuci?

He has a point. Look at the difference in AIDS transmission between northern and southern Africa.

Their particular brand of Christianity.

[Mr. Harley]

There are two critical differences between Christianity and Islam that may account for the difference. First, since Islam is highly intolerant of polytheists (they are considered infidels, and in fact the Koran requires their conversion, if necessary by the sword), it will be it's very nature reduce the level of so-called witch doctors who are suggesting the young virgin cure bit. That is a hideous vector, as I strongly suspect - note suspect, versus other factual data here - that those young girls are going to end up in the sex trade, becoming ideal vectors for the disease.

Secondly, the AIDS transmission may be reduced by the combination of female genital mutilation, which is very common through the Moslem parts of Africa (and also practiced in the Christian areas, though not to the same degree), and the penalty for adultery, which is stoning to death. However, that penalty is very seldom enforced against men since simply being pregnant can be considered proof against a woman, versus two witnesses being required for a man (google the cases in Northern Nigeria over the last several years).

I strongly suspect that this results in less adultery than in the Christian areas since you are effectively eliminating most female adultery (no clitoris means little pleasure, and the death penalty can reduce temptation in this context, i.e. is that piece of a** worth dying for). In fact, if the Moslem level of adultery is much higher than 50% of the Christian one, that would indicate that the rate of adultery in Moslem men is higher than in Christian men, given the substantially reduced rate of female adultery. This would be consistant with cultures where women are definitely second class citizens, i.e. having fewer political and social rights then their male counterparts, and lack the ability to tell their partners "no" in reference to having sex. Again, you have this in Christian parts of Africa as well - but Sharia codifies this, making it an integral part of Moslem culture.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


Uh, and what religion would that be Kuci?

He has a point. Look at the difference in AIDS transmission between northern and southern Africa.

And let's not address the differing political situations in different states at all. Or indeed, the openness about disease transmission, difficulties in arriving at statistics, differing health services, et cetera, et cetera.