Concurrency and the Condom Controversy

We recently read The Invisible Cure by Helen Epstein, which explores the spread of HIV in Africa. One of the themes highlighted in the book is the different patterns in relationships: rather than the norm being sequential monogamous relationships, it's common for people to be in multiple relationships at the same time. For example, one man will be married to one woman, and will also have a girlfriend or two. Each of the women he is involved with may also be involved with another man or two. Essentially, this links everyone into an "HIV super-highway", where if one person is infected, HIV can spread rapidly. As a result, many people in Africa who are not part of a traditional high-risk group actually have a very high risk of infection. Epstein's perspective is that this is why it takes more than condoms to address the AIDS epidemic, since they are used less often in long-term relationships.

That being said... this Frontline clip shows how the Bush administration's funding of abstinence-only education has created a spike in infection rates. How shocking...