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[29 July 2008] - Preventing HIV has become so political that young people are being denied their right to life saving education, according to the Politics of Prevention, a controversial new book to be launched at the 17th Global AIDS conference in Mexico next week (4-8 August). “The most political issues hampering the response are unlikely to be resolved at the conference despite the $100 million being spent”, said Tania Boler, one of the authors. “Successful HIV prevention involves talking frankly about controversial issues like young people’s sexuality or condoms or homosexuality,” said Boler. “But conservative governments are using their aid money to distort scientific understanding, spreading the abstinence only message with very little scientific evidence to support it,” she added. The book argues that too often prevention has become politically volatile and those who should be part of the solution have become part of the problem. The effect of the US sponsored ‘abstinence only’ model in Africa has been to undermine the reputation of the condom – by far the most important prevention method. “American funding for HIV (PEPFAR) is aid at its worst: tied to the purchasing of certain models of HIV prevention and certain products, and in many cases, undermining government provision of basic services,” said David Archer, International Head of Education at ActionAid. The IMF is accused of undermining spending on HIV and education – directly contradicting the aims of the international development goals set for 2015. “The IMF is supposed to help countries achieve economic stability - but by blocking spending on HIV and education, the health and future potential of workforces are being stopped in their tracks, to the detriment of both the people and their country’s development,” added Archer. The UN is accused of being too timid to show leadership on issues which might prove controversial with influential member states. “The UN appears unable to lead the way on targeted support for gay men, condoms and needle exchange programmes despite scientific evidence that these work,” said Archer. “It’s also reluctant to talk about the holiest of grails – sex”. The authors urge the international AIDS community to recognise the underlying politics of HIV prevention and to stop wasting money on programmes which don’t work. The Politics of Prevention: A Global Crisis in AIDS and Education by Tania Boler and David Archer. Published by Pluto Press. Priced £10.99. All proceeds go to ActionAid. Available to buy from www.amazon.com. Some discounted copies available from ActionAid to readers in the South on request: contact [email protected] David Archer is International Head of Education at ActionAid in London Tania Boler is a leading researcher on HIV and education who has worked with ActionAid and the United Nations. Further information