Science, faith and AIDS: The battle over harm reduction

American Journal of Bioethics

Volumn 5, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 3-4

  Wynia, Matthew K ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; CONDOM; ETHICS; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; HARM REDUCTION; HEALTH; HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR; HUMAN; HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION; MORALITY; PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICE; PUBLIC HEALTH; RELIGION; RELIGIOUS APPROACH; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; UNITED STATES; UTILIZATION REVIEW;

HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH; RELIGIOUS APPROACH;

CONDOMS; EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE; HARM REDUCTION; HEALTH POLICY; HIV INFECTIONS; HUMANS; MORALS; NEEDLE-EXCHANGE PROGRAMS; PUBLIC HEALTH; RELIGION AND MEDICINE; RISK-TAKING; SUBSTANCE ABUSE, INTRAVENOUS; UNITED STATES; WORLD HEALTH;

EID: 27744505871     PISSN: 15265161     EISSN: 15360075     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/15265160590961699     Document Type: Short Survey

References (7)

1. House Government Reform Subcommittee hearings of February 16, 2005. Transcript available from the author.
2. Kristof, N. D. 2005. When marriage kills. New York Times, March 30: A17.
3. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality - judiciously, as you will - we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too. . ." Unnamed senior administration official quoted in R. Suskind, Without a doubt. New York Times Magazine. Sunday, October 17, 2004.
4. This reflects similar sentiments expressed by others close to the administration. See, tor example, D.V. Johnson, Creating Reality, at http://blogs.salon.com/0003379/2004/12/17.html (accessed April 6, 2005).
5. Institute of Medicine, Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health. The Future of Public Health. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1988.
6. Marsch, L. A. 1998. The efficacy of methadone maintenance interventions in reducing illicit opiate use, HIV risk behavior and criminality: A meta-analysis. Addiction 93(4): 515-532.
7. This is not to suggest there is no evidence for religious faith or a belief in God; that would be a subject for a different essay - one not directly related to public health programs. But whether evidence supports God's existence is a separate issue from whether faith is being used as a rationale to reject harm reduction strategies in public health. I also do not wish to suggest that every person of faith rejects harm reduction strategies; many accept the results of scientific studies around issues of public health.