The Wisdom of Abstinence and Monogamy

TO DATE, nearly 30 million people have been infected with the AIDS virus and over 6 million have died. Some 8,500 new cases are diagnosed every day—1,400 of which are children, who usually die within the first year of life. So-called safe-sex campaigns have stirred up public attention, but some feel that this is not enough. “AIDS is a killer disease,” writes Dr. Steven J. Sainsbury in The Tampa Tribune, “and any measures taken to prevent its transmission must be 100 percent effective.”

Regarding the use of condoms as a means of preventing AIDS, Dr. Sainsbury comments: “Look at it this way. Suppose that, for unknown reasons, automobiles suddenly begin to explode every time someone turns the ignition. Motorists are getting blown up all over the country. Finally, the government comes out with a solution. Just put this additive in the fuel, they say, and the risk of explosion will go down 90 percent. Would you consider the problem solved? Would you still keep driving your car? I doubt it. Then why do we accept condoms as the solution for AIDS?”

Recognizing that AIDS is most often caused by sexual contact, Dr. Sainsbury offers a solution: “No sex until one is ready to commit to a monogamous relationship with an uninfected person. The key words are abstinence and monogamy.”

The Bible commands sexual abstinence for single persons and monogamy for those who are married. The Bible’s lofty standards forbid fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. (Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 7:8, 9) Though many criticize this standard, saying it is out-of-date or old-fashioned, the Bible’s morality has promoted health and peace of mind.—Isaiah 48:17.