The Bible Society of Nigeria says adoption of right conduct by every member of society is the only means of ending the HIV/AIDS scourge in the country.
The General Secretary of the BSN, Dare Ajiboye, said the use of condom was not always safe and should not be encouraged or preferred over right conduct.
Ajiboye spoke at a press conference held at the Bible Guest House, Ilupeju, Lagos, a statement said on Sunday.
He said, “Although part of our core duties are Bible translation and distribution, we also care about the physical health of the people who read the Bible we produce; that is, we are concerned about both the spiritual and physical health of Nigerians.
“We have been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS for some time now.
“This time, we are presenting to the world, particularly Nigerians, the only trusted single solution to the continuous spread of the disease. We are happy to emphasise that the only solution to the spread of HIV/AIDS virus is right conduct, which is avoiding any behaviour that puts you or your neighbour at the risk of infection. This has been widely acknowledged by experts in HIV/AIDS prevention. We make bold to say that it is conduct and not condom. Even condoms are not perfect protection because they do break.”
Ajiboye said the money spent on media campaigns encouraging the use of condom was unnecessary if Nigerians could adopt right conduct all the time.
He said, “Right conduct entailed mutual fidelity and abstinence; If you are married, remain faithful to your partner, do not engage in extra-marital affair; if you are unmarried, do not engage in illicit sex, abstain until you are married.”
The General Secretary presented a book at the occasion, which he said explained the concept better.
He said the book, which was funded by contributions from the BSN donors, would be distributed at secondary schools, churches, organisations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and other public places to spread the message of right conduct.
“The Bible Society of Nigeria is presenting a resource material on the fight against HIV/AIDS titled, HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Conduct not Condom. The book is divided into five chapters and covers what HIV/AIDS is, how it is contracted, stigmatisation, societal responsibilities towards having HIV/AIDS free society and conduct not condom,” Ajiboye said.
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