Members of Africa Youth Ministries and Uganda Virgins demonstrate against AIDS at Kitante on December 10, 2004

--Christians who throng churches on Sundays are descendants of biblical Adam!
By Eliphaz ssekabira
Ugandans entered last year’s Christmas season with a fear which resulted from the scarcity of condoms on the open market. Although one would rightly think that this would be a period for the Christians to renew their relationship with God, the opposite is always true.

Adultery, fornication, prostitution and boozing among other vices are the indicators of the festive period! The condom crisis was sparked off when the Government recalled Engabu brand off the market due to its poor quality. Mind you, this brand had been satisfied by the Ugandan bureau of standards.

The scarcity pushed the prices of other brands like protector, Rough rider and lifeguard to more than double. This prompted the Youth MP for Northern Uganda, Dan Kidega to warn of an imminent demonstration about the condom crisis, which would have rightly contrasted with Mrs Janet Museveni’s earlier demonstration of the famous virgins who allegedly chose to abstain as the only solution to HIV/AIDS.

I say allegedly because I thought it was a joke. Music star Sheila Nvanungi of Central Broadcasting Services added more fun about the demonstration when she confessed that she was also still a virgin! Give us a break Sheila.

As Mrs Museveni and Emmanuel cardinal Wamala were emphasising the abstinence, the Pentecostal churches jumped on the bandwagon and took a radical and very dangerous line. The leaders of these churches led by the Vice Chairman of Born-Again churches, pastor Joseph Serwadda urged the Government to stop the importation of condoms!
Serwadda of the victory Christian Centre in Ndeeba was on December 30 at Mandela Stadium where the church and Impact radio were organising the fourth Passover festival of thanksgiving.

Although abstinence can prevent HIV infection, Mrs Museveni, the cardinal and the Government officials, should not downplay the use of condoms. Why? The number of people who can abstain is very small compared to those who cannot.

And for Serwadda and his colleagues who advocate the banning of condom importation, I can say they are some form of terrorists who want HIV/AIDS to wipe out humanity.
These pastors should know that focus on prevention and a multi-sectoral approach (ABC-Abstinence, Be faithful and condom use) have led to reduction in the prevalence rates (from 20% in 1991 to 6.5% in 2002) thus turning Uganda into a model country in the fight against the pandemic whose cases had in the year 2000 grown to a cumulative 2 million people up from the two Uganda HIV/AIDS cases reported in 1982!

That is why people like George Bush, president of the USA and renowned evangelist T. D. Jakes popped into the country to draw the best practice in the fight against the disease.
The National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, for HIV/AIDS Activities in Uganda 2003/04-2005/06, a publication by Uganda Aids Commission (August 2004) notes, “condom availability is a critical issue as well a challenge since stockouts are a situation that has to be avoided as much as possible. Promotion of safer sex among young people greatly depends on the availability of condoms.”

That is why the United Nations Agency for AIDS (UNAIDS) ares the continued use of condoms alongside abstinence. In its 2002 global report, UNAIDS noted that it is the young people who offer the greatest hope for changing the course of HIV/AIDS epidemic — if they are given the tools and the support to do so. Condoms are part of tha support. Therefore, condom use is a critical element in an effective and sustainable approach to HIV/AIDS prevention. Religious leaders should know that they are ministering to the congregations whose biggest percentage is the youth.

The youth come to churches with hymn books and bibles in their hands and condoms in their pockets and handbags! Any attempt or call to ban condoms is counter-productive on the church of God. There are some situations which demand one to be armed with condoms. A case in point is in bars where, everybody is very ugly before the first round of alcohol. One of the barmaids will definitely become ‘Miss Uganda’ after the second and third rounds. Prostitution is so rampant in most parts of the country and that makes condoms the only way out in which the people involved can be protected from HIV/AIDs.

Similarly, sexual dissatisfaction among married couples leads to the sexually starved spouse to have multiple partners. If you want to control the spread through such behaviour, a condom is a ‘must-use’. The pastors should know that they are not ministering to heavenly angels.

Their congregations are part of the promiscuous society, which inherited the biblical sin of Adam. The condom should therefore be supported alongside abstinence and faithfulness

The writer is the Clerk to Luweero District Local Council
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