Most Popular Contraceptive Used in Parts of Africa May Double Risk of Contracting HIV
October 4th, 2011Instead of cheap, effective, ubiquitous neem oil being promoted by alleged humanitarian organizations for birth control, dangerous and expensive pharmaceutical products are used that also happen to double the risk of women being infected with HIV.
That’s an absolutely fascinating coincidence.
Via: New York Times:
The most popular contraceptive for women in eastern and southern Africa, a hormone shot given every three months, appears to double the risk the women will become infected with H.I.V., according to a large study published Monday. And when it is used by H.I.V.-positive women, their male partners are twice as likely to become infected than if the women had used no contraception.
The findings potentially present an alarming quandary for women in Africa. Hundreds of thousands of them suffer injuries, bleeding, infections and even death in childbirth from unintended pregnancies. Finding affordable and convenient contraceptives is a pressing goal for international health authorities.
But many countries where pregnancy rates are highest are also ravaged by H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. So the evidence suggesting that the injectable contraceptive has biological properties that may make women and men more vulnerable to H.I.V. infection is particularly troubling.
A few years back someone was pushing for lemon and lime trees to be planted in African villages after research showed Laos prostitutes who used lemon juice-soaked cotton balls as contraception had a markedly reduced rate of HIV infection. They didn’t get much support, of course.
Back to Neem oil: I used to use it to keep ants from eating the fresh shoots on my passionfruit vines. Yep, verily it stinketh somewhat.
Seems like everyone wants a piece of Africa and finds it a great nuisance that there are all those Africans there.
Please see The neem tree – a case history of biopiracy By Vandana Shiva
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/pir-ch.htm