Now I know that African men can have more than one partner(polygamy) but their are few tribes that accept this type of behavior from women.

Ike, Daria, Oogie or any other continental African please speak on this.

I think, no, I know this is pure BS.

Many people are diagnosed as having AIDS in Africa without being tested. If an African has thrush, excessive diarrhea or pneumonia they may find themselves being diagnosed as HIV infected.

Having thrush, excessive diarrhea and pneumonia are things that can happen to one who does not have HIV or Aids

They actually have hiv tests at the airport. I’m not making this up. I thought it was crazy. But, hiv and aids is real big in Africa and no one is doing anything about. Part of the problem is that most of the men are un circumsised and this leads to more of a risk and another big secret that the media and most people ignore is that many people in africa believe that you can cure aids by having sex with young virgins. Now these poor girls are becoming victims.

Whoa! Who’s the bitch writing this sh**? I don’t care that she’s an “AIDS researcher” (I would like to know what qualifications are required to be an AIDS researcher). I admit that African men may be “mischievous,” but to go as far as to say that women are sleeping with numerous partners at one time is insane. Most African women don’t engage in this type of behavior (that’s actually more common in the West). The culture doesn’t allow it. The small amount that does, are the prostitutes. I think this woman is grossly over exaggerating these cases. The spread of AIDS is mostly due to the ignorance of the people. Some don’t trust the doctors, people are failing to get tested, many don’t use protection, the men are messing around and spreading it to their wives. It’s not becuz everybody is running around fu**ing like a bunch of wild monkeys.

Is this woman serious? Has she never taken an anthropology class in her life?

Of course, she’s serious…serious about perpetuating stereotypes about African sexuality, i.e. promiscuous. SMH

While I think her assumption is deducted rather than carefully researched, folks seem to be denying that there is a SERIOUS problem. Which underscores the author’s point that political correctness impedes honest discourse.

I’m not saying that she is right and/or wrong with her conclusion…and that’s just it. I’m not going to dismiss her for being racists per se. I’m going to recognize that she is studying the epidemic of AIDS in African (and I’m not), so any perspective that she can offer to help eradicate and/or slow down the rates of AIDS is more than most people are doing.

I mean HIV/AIDS is mainly a sexually transmitted disease, so if the rates of disease are high amongst a group of people, is it a bad assumption to think that they are having unprotected sex with multiple partners?

The acknowledgment that “many don’t use protection, the men are messing around and spreading it to their wives.” leads me to believe that while it might not be socially acceptable for women to sleep with multiple people, it might happen. Even if it’s not *at the same time* it could mean that a woman sleeps with multiple men over a span of time (ie 1 per month). And a dude sleeping with prostitutes is a problem in itself.

Agrees with SunFreash.

As far as the article goes, this woman is a scientist who has researched HIV for 10 years, so i’ll assume she knows what she’s talking about. I’ll also assume she’s travelled throughout Africa, so she’s probably seen things that have led her to this conclusion.

I don’t think she’s racist at all, and that kind of over sensitive knee jerk reaction only shuts down the conversation.

I would just like to know where she got her conclusion that “it’s a fact that in parts of Africa, it’s more common for both men and women to have two or three simultaneous relationships than to have serial partners.”
There have been a lot of so-called “experts” in this field. Like Chic Noir said, there are Africans who have been diagnosed with AIDS just becuz they showed certain symptoms (the symptoms of AIDS are synonymous with other viruses and sicknesses). But I do agree with SunFresh: I think her assumption is deducted rather than carefully researched. Most of the AIDS cases in Africa aren’t carefully researched. The nations can’t even keep track of their populations, since they don’t even have the data/record systems found more in western nations. They rely on foreign estimates. I agree, AIDS is a big issue in Africa, but it still doesn’t give her the right to make such bogus claims. I can at least say that this is the case in West Africa. I would also like to hear the opinions of Africans in other regions. I think they would have something to say as well.

First we are told Aids is hard to fight in Africa because people there do not like to talk about sex. Now we find out they have sex like animals. Right.

Racism affects scientists too, just like everyone else. They are not above it.

White people have been saying this stuff about how black people “really are” for 400 years. I do not buy it.

Quite frankly, I don’t think it’s necessarily bogus. This article refers to Africa; however, as we all know, Africa is a diverse continent. Each country has its own AIDS rate. So perhaps what she is deducting is that in those countries in which the AIDS rate is 20% or greater, it is quite logical and possible that people have concurrent sexual partners. It’s not really that far-fetched of a conclusion and I don’t think that’s a conclusion dipped in racism.

If you can name one friend/associate that has had concurrent sexual partners (or several partners in a short time period) , then you can start to understand how AIDS could spread. These friends could be white/brown/black etc…however in Africa, there is one “race,” so any study that reflects negatively on society practices would be called “racist.”

Sun Fresh:

The uninformed West assumes there one “race” in Africa. There are many races, in fact, the great majority of the worlds genetic diversity is found in Africa. All the west sees is brown faces. What makes AIDS in Africa so tragic is this view, and the legacy of colonialism stripping people of the agency to get treated. African Americans in this country die of HIV/AIDS at a higher rate than Non-Hispanic White Americans. African American women make up almost 50% of new HIV/AIDS cases nationally. They are NOT more promiscuous, they are not doing anything that Non Hispanic White Americans aren’t doing, they are reflecting a legacy of structural restrictions on their ability to get the same medical attention as Non-Hispanic white Americans. I study Health inequalities, and many researchers have identified that there are 8 Americas in terms of Health outcomes. I shudder to think how many Africas or even how many Worlds there are in terms of Health Outcomes. It is very important to identify the sexual aspects of the contracting of disease, especially a sexually transmitted one, but we cannot pretend that the process of contracting of HIV/AIDS is gender equal is not a factor, and that women’s sexual agency is not controlled by patriarchal forces.

Superchunk12: I appreciate your dialogue. I do realize that there are more races in Africa than simply one. However, if I were to guestimate a majority race, I’d go with what we’d in America call black.

To your point that black women making up 50% of new HIV/AIDS cases in the USA and that they are not doing anything that non-hispanic white American’s aren’t doing…I’d say that perhaps they are not buying condoms. (This can also be reflected in the higher percentage of single-family homes in the black population). I don’t believe that two populations having the exact same sexual practices can have such different outcomes in terms of contracting AIDS/HIV.

Are you indicating that due to unequal health education amongst blacks/whites that black women aren’t taught that a possible way to prevent STDS/pregnancy is to use condoms?

Say what?!

This is acceptable behavior for men in Africa. But it’s also acceptable behavior for men in certain countries to sleep with other women AND prostitutes.

I will say that poverty has forced women into pretty much prostitution. In some cities, a man can easily find a girl (and I’m stressing GIRL) who will sleep with him in exchange for food. This is no different than what went on between “African Union” officials and women in refugee camps.

…so yes, a woman might be sleeping with multiple “sugar daddies” at the same time to get her basic needs (shelter, food, water) met but this is NOT the norm. I’ve been told that in some areas of South Africa, there are HIV infected people who go out and purposely infect others. They feel like they might as well take others down with them.

@ solitaire–see, I believe there’s a way to seriously discuss the devastation that AIDS has caused on the continent of Africa. And I did enjoy the way the other commenters discussed it. They broke it down by gender, by sexual practices in individual countries, through the effects of colonialism and poverty.

All of these analyses–shorter than the article itself and done by lay people (unless our commenting comrades are holding out with their creds)–are much better than what Pisani, a scientist, did. Her big analysis is that “Africans” (no account for a particular group or people in a country on the continent) are having “different” sex. However, the sex she mentions–men having unprotected sex with men, unprotected sex-for-payment (and she didn’t bother to use the word “unprotected,” which, as a AIDS researcher, should be used because such a researcher would know that AIDS is spread through not using protection during sexual encounters–really wasn’t different than any other group of people dealing with the disease.

IMO, for Pisani to sweepingly say, “HIV is largely a sexually transmitted infection, so there must be something different about sex in Africa”–when the reality is different–has some racist overtones to it. Saying that doesn’t shut down the conversation about the best way to deal with the devastation. It does give me the opportunity to say how such statements don’t helping the conversation.

Sun Fresh:

What we in America call black, we call black becuase most of us don’t know any better. We don’t undertake understanding genetic and cultural diversity unless it is spoon fed to or forced on us. Like Native American tribes, there are various tribes and ethnic groups in Africa that have common and divergent genetic structures, so that while they are the same, they are different and that status should be kept in mind, as Pisani is declining to do.

As a Sociologist, I would encourage you to look past individual behavior and look at societal structure. There are many reasons for a large population of single mothers in the Black community, one has to do with the exploitation of African American labor and the breaking up of families under American slavery. Condom use is like a drop in the ocean with regard to single family homes. Consider this, with the availability of abortion, what does it matter if if condoms fail?

Consider this, what good is having a condom as a woman, if a man of any race is not allowing you to use it? In a patriarchal structure, Men more often than not get to call the sexual shots (so to speak). men in all cultures rebuff condom use and have the power to do so. It’s universal. In some places, due to lack of education, money, individual and structural agency, etc. It may occur at a higher rate, but women are using condoms when they are able.

There are many factors in force that cause HIV/AIDS to be prevalent in Africa, and as The Cruel Secretary points out, we must look towards societal problems, such as poverty, gender inequality, and colonialism.

In response to your question about unequal health education,Yes and no. As are all American women. But if social commitment fails to pass out condoms, or patriarchal structure allowing women control of their own sexuality, what good is knowing this? Additionally, no one castigates Non-Hispanic white women when they contract HIV. They treat them. How we as Americans have been taught to view Africans, African Americans and sexuality has a great deal to do with this. I would be happy to send you an article about it, with possible explainations by a Harvard Professor named Evelynn Hammonds.

I apologize for the length of the post/response. Unfortunately, there is no quick answer for this problem. There are also aspects of this problem that the world is unwilling to look at. So unfortunately, we kind of keep going around in circles.

To analyze and piece this woman apart….

1. as far as other posts, everyone has some good points here. Superchunk12, I’d be totally happy if you posted a link for the Evelynn Hammonds/Harvard article or let me know where to find it.

2. shout out to any one in public health/Epidemiology!

3. …this woman has a PhD in epidemiology and she is qualified to be ’specialist’ academically speaking. I will say that just because she has this degree doesn’t make her the end-all in this argument, as previous posts have proven. She has her opinions, and not all of her arguments are necessarily right.

I appreciate her examination on looking at different pieces to solve the puzzle, but I hope she’s done enough work actually studying the many, many, many diverse cultures to understand why HIV spreads the way it does before she made these bold comments.

She definately is trying to be dramatic in her journalism though. Check out her blog…she’s got some weird stuff on there, some of which doesn’t seem like a highly respected professional would have on a website.

These are purely my observations. Anyone, let me know if you come across this woman’s actual research.

I have lived in Sénégal, Ethiopia and South Africa. And sadly, you are all ignoring the notion of “choice”. Women do not hold economic or political power and rarely have the luxury of saying “NO”.
The upper class Africans have servants and maids and use them as they please. Many girls going to school are not safe; literally a black woman’s life and body is not worth much in too many parts of Africa.
So it isn’t about being promiscuous but it is about a sexist way of life that endangers women’s lives of all economic backgrounds.

I think Pisani’s point about political correctness impeding AIDS prevention is a valid one. But for many more reasons than she has stated.

It is well known that the Bush Administration is pushing an agenda of “abstinence only” AIDS education that simply is not working. By not sharing the most important methods of preventing AIDS (using condoms correctly every time, minimizing number of partners), the Bush Administration has become part of the problem.

I don’t believe Pisani is racist, however, unless she backs up her claims for why she believes “African sex” is different with evidence (as opposed to just deducing, like Ike says), she is not contributing to this discussion constructively.

The bottom line as I see it is:

1. No scientist has proven that any RACE is more likely than any other to contract AIDS based on genetics or biology.

2. Any racial groups that exhibit higher rates of infection are due to sexual BEHAVIOR or CULTURE.

3. The only way to prevent the spread of AIDS is to refrain from risky sexual behavior, i.e., USE CONDOMS (ignoring other sources of transmission).

If there are higher rates of infection in Africa, it is due to CULTURE and BEHAVIOR. I.e., lack of condom use. It is not a racial situation, but a behavior situation. Therefore, prevention education should be tailored to the needs of those populations.

Pisani is correct that we need to honestly discuss why some groups are contracting AIDS faster than others. However, she is making a huge leap to say that African sex is different than Bolivian or other sex. And in the end, it doesn’t matter: the only solution we have is education, get tested, get treated. Period.

Actually Sunfreash, Africa also has a large number of Arabs(via North Africa and parts of East). Futhermore, women are most often married while they are fairly young, partically amongst those who are uneducated.

Superchunk the black people of Africa are from different ethnic groups but not races. We classify race in the USA according to phenotype (and sometimes orgin of ancestors).

Sunfreash- you are obviously not African-American or even black to sprout this garbage. The idea that slavery broke up the African-American family is a myth. 90 % of all black children born in 1920 were born into two parent homes.

The OWBs in the African-American community have skyrocked since the 1950s for other reasons. Futhermore, a large number of African-Americans are pro-life so abortion is not an option.

By the way msim, Senegal has a very low AIDS rate. I read about it and the way that Sengal has worked to avoid having the disease become an epidemic.

Yes, political correctness can keep us from honestly looking at and solving many problems facing POC.

But, here is the thing that bothers me about her assertions;

She doesn’t take into account the fact that HIV/AIDS has been around for decades. So assuming that “different” sex has been happening for centuries in Africa, why didn’t HIV/AIDS sweep through sub-saharan Africa from the word go?

For her to be so educated, she is offering an incredibly simplistic view of a vast problem.

Chic Noir:

It was me who offered slavery as one of millions of possible explanations for the rise of single parent families in the AA community. One of the causes of the rise of single parenthood arises from lack of economic opportunity, and with the exploitation labor moving from slavery to sharecropping to a dearth of economic opportunities for AA men,I was offering it as one of the endless possibilities. Sun Fresh didn’t say it. I am also aware of the ethnic variation in Africa, but there is also genetic variation within and between ethnic groups, for example, most of the genes for sickle cell trait are found in West African populations, rather than In East or North African populations. I drew a comparison to Native American and other Indigenous groups who may look phenotypically different and also have similar and divergent genotypes.

In response to the abortion comment, I used the example of the availability of abortion to rebuff lack of condom use in the AA community as a reason for the large rate of single mother families in the AA community.

Aries 304: the Hammond article I have Is one that I scanned out of a book. I could email it to anyone who wanted it, or I could email it to Lauren and ask her to post it.