$800,000 of Economic Stimulus on African Genital-Washing Program

[Danno 1,228]

If it weren't so wrong, it would be funny.

Feds Spent $800,000 of Economic Stimulus on African Genital-Washing Program

Monday, September 13, 2010

By Matt C

(CNSNews.com) – The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spent $823,200 of economic stimulus funds in 2009 on a study by a UCLA research team to teach uncircumcised African men how to wash their genitals after having sex.

The genitalia-washing program is part of a larger $12-million UCLA study examining how to better encourage Africans to undergo voluntary HIV testing and counseling – however, only the #######-washing study received money from the 2009 economic stimulus law. The washing portion of the study is set to end in 2011.

“NIH Announces the Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications,” the grant abstract states. “We propose to evaluate the feasibility of a post-coital genital hygiene study among men unwilling to be circumcised in Orange Farm, South Africa.”

Because AIDS researchers have been unsuccessful in convincing most adult African men to undergo circumcision, the UCLA study proposes to determine whether researchers can develop an after-sex genitalia-washing regimen that they can then convince uncircumcised African men to follow.

“The aim of the proposed feasibility study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a post-coital male genital hygiene procedure, which participants will be asked to practice immediately post-coitus or at least 12 hours after,” reads the abstract.

Entitled “Community-Based HIV VCT: South Africa,” the name of the broader umbrella project, the program plans to test how well received the #######-washing regimen is among South African men.

If most of the men in the study wash their genitals after sex, are willing to do so after the study ends, and report that their partners accept the regimen, the researchers will develop another study to see if the “penile cleansing procedure” actually works to prevent HIV infections.

“If we find that men are able to practice consistent washing practices after sex, we will plan to test whether this might protect men from becoming HIV infected in a later study,” the grant says.

The study’s lead investigator Dr. Thomas J. Coates was the fourth highest-funded researcher in the country in 2002 and is currently conducting HIV research on three continents.

CNSNews.com asked both Coates and NIMH the following question: “The Census Bureau says the median household income in the United States is $52,000. How would you explain to the average American mom and dad -- who make $52,000 per year -- that taxing them to pay for this grant was justified?”

Coates, who was unavailable for comment, directed CNSNews.com to ask grant-related questions of his assistant, Darya Freedman, who did not respond.

[mawilson 2,133]

$800,000 will wash a lot of genitals.

[Ban Hammer 13,508]

people need classes on this?

[SMR 368]

The most ridiculous part is that they will have to do a follow-up to see if this even reduces the transfer of HIV. That is, they don't even know if this does squat.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I could see how this could be considered "stimulus".

[Obama 2012 1,714]

there's some great Asian spas where they'll 'wash' you

[Darnell 8,479]

NIH gets some 'strange things' funded, on a regular basis.

I'll suggest this is a very 'small' project for them, perhaps some oversight was lost?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And the problem is worse that they thought and they will need more money. Betcha!

Does this fall under the category of "pork"?

[The_Dude 1,142]

there's some great Asian spas where they'll 'wash' you

Does your fiance know about your affinity for happy endings?

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Because AIDS researchers have been unsuccessful in convincing most adult African men to undergo circumcision

So by this - they are implying that being cut stops/lessens AIDS...

yah - hands off my junk please.

I would think it would be better to teach people not to have unprotected sex if you are unsure of your partners health. (or your own)

[Danno 1,228]

So by this - they are implying that being cut stops/lessens AIDS...

yah - hands off my junk please.

I would think it would be better to teach people not to have unprotected sex if you are unsure of your partners health. (or your own)

I think I have read that being "cut" does infact lesson the infection rate.

It might be since many africans won't agree to being "Cut" later in life (I doubt I would either) the hope is to go to plan B -cleaning tools, after their use.

If people want to donate to such a silly research grant, fine but using borrowed tax dollars..... for something which has so little "stimulus" potential is just wrong... and typical.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

people need classes on this?

Some Africans believe having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS..... so.... yes.

[SuperDuper! 230]

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

More racism funded by Democrats which assumes only African-American men need to be told how to wash themselves.

[evli1966 88]

I need anemoteicon that depicts a smiley banging it's head on it's desk.