I have nothing new to say. Probably people reading this already know that the moral stigma of HIV is getting more people infected. The ignoramuses fearing that people would be promiscuous because of sex ed, are helping no one. Arguments against teaching teenagers about sex, drugs and condoms are no longer justified. I think more delays in introducing such classes will be a landmark failure in proper reasoning by the Egyptian society.

From the latest UNAIDS report (full text:

Official data from Egypt indicate an epidemic that is driven mainly by unprotected sex—with heterosexual intercourse accounting for about one half of HIV cases where the mode of transmission was noted, and sex between men for a further one fifth. Injecting drug use was the mode of transmission in just 2% of HIV cases. Yet, researchers have encountered high levels of risky behaviour among injecting drug users in Cairo, for instance, with more than half the surveyed injectors saying they used non-sterile injecting equipment in the previous month (Elshimi, Warner-Smith and Aon, 2004).

As for the numbers, they are not scary and depressing as the endemic HCV. According to this there are only an estimate of 8000 HIV positive cases.

But, I have a question. Even if moderate popular views change. How issues like this will be discussed in the new parliament with the large (and increasing) number of Muslim Brotherhood MPs ?