As the world stands shocked at the loss of life from the Malaysian Airlines flight being shot down over Ukraine, it has inadvertedly been alerted to the fact that delegates from around the world were meeting for an International conference on HIV/AIDS, since several passengers who died on that flight were headed for that conference.
A couple of Aussie news headlines of recent days have been very interesting to us in relation to HIV/AIDS, as we look from the perspective of living in the country with the second highest infection rate in the world. A rate, that despite massive educational campaigns, and free availability of ARV drugs is not falling but rising.
The first headline was the fact that HIV rates are climbing in Australia too and of particular concern is the large amount of casual unprotected sex occuring in the homosexual community. Although gay marriage promoters would like us to see homosexuality as 'faithful' relationships, the reality is far from that. Australia may pride itself on being a 'developed' nation of informed and intelligent people, but it seems not enough to even use 'protection' in the face of HIV/AIDS.
(Although, mind you, condoms do not provide full protection from HIV as some would like to suggest. They must be always used and correctly used (proper placement and removal, correct lubricant, right size), stored properly, no holes or tears or faults - including those you can't see. Quality is not consistent world-wide and a batch 'passes' even if a few in each batch 'fail' the quality test. Essentially they are only 87% effective. Latex condoms are better than 'natural-skin' ones, and apparently are 'double-dipped' in latex unlike latex gloves, but are still not fail-safe and research testing showed the virus still able to pass through a proportion of those tested.)
The second headline is that HIV is increasing in Australia in young people (including a 36% rise in infections in 15-19 year olds last year), and in the heterosexual community (25% of infections are heterosexual an increase from 16% in 2012 and a 38% increase from 2001 - 2010) although the Kirby Report of October 2013 that just under 60% of new heterosexual cases are attributed to those born in Africa or Asia or whose sexual partners were born in these regions. " One could say that therefore its not such a big deal as its within that African or Asian community, but note that it is not only affecting African's or Asians but partners of those folk. And if those partners separate and start a sexual relationship with another person, so the virus spreads.
The third headline was not directly about HIV but had a very interesting piece of information related to it - on the topic of 'concurrent' sexual relationships. Recently in Queensland Gerard Baden-Clay was convicted of murdering his wife Alison and sentenced to Life in prison. In the trial Gerard gave evidence of his multiple infidelity and said (according to the Courier Mail newspaper):
"It was purely about the physical aspect of that, that I went to those other women," he said. "Some of them over an extended period of time, admittedly. Many of them concurrent."
- the key word there is 'concurrent'. Here in Botswana one of the biggest reasons for the spread of HIV is the fact of 'concurrent' sexual relationships (of a heterosexual nature).
It seems that there are those Australians who have a very mis-guided notion that the AIDS crisis of Africa is far away and of no relevance to Australians except to maybe donate to charities working in Africa with AIDS orphans. However, sinful hearts are sinful hearts wherever they may be and HIV/AIDS knows no geographical restrictions. In addition to the fact that some Africans going to Australia seem to be bringing the virus with them, the same issues of 'casual unprotected sex' and concurrent sexual relationships that cause the spread of HIV in Botswana, exist in Australia too.
Wake up Australia! - you don't have the luxury of immunity from HIV or an immunity to the bias to sin. You can't keep playing with fire and kid yourself that you cannot be burnt!
And just as an aside as to the some further latest HIV Botswana data: there is much concern since it has been revealed that the very same children who were spared getting HIV from their mother through the massive efforts of the 'Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission', are now becoming infected as adolescents through their own sexual immorality. Given the chance for 'life' they are choosing sin and getting 'death'.
The lie of the promise of pleasure that Satan used in the Garden of Eden is still very much alive and well!....and what a reminder this is that we cannot 'blame' Adam and Eve for our sin problem, because given even just a small example of a similar situation, we are just as easily tempted to choose what brings death rather than be content and satisfied and happy with the 'life' we have already been given.
All of this is a reminder that, whether in Botswana or Australia - hearts need Christ!
