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http://cnsnews.com/news/article/75198

Feds Spent $800,000 of Economic Stimulus on African Genital-Washing Program
Monday, September 13, 2010
By Matt Cover


The AIDS awareness symbol is used for earrings and pendants made at a counseling center in Chennai, India. (AP File Photo/M. Lakshman)

(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 penis-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 penis-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.

The NIMH also declined to respond to CNSNews.com’s question.

Reasons why Oz > US:

- The median household income in the United States is $52,000.

- Frazzled is currently running around a free man in the US.

- 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.

- It's already Wednesday here.


How's Tuesday treatin' ya, guys?

Cripes.

It'd help the HIV/AIDs problems there a bit as well, if the Pope wouldn't have gone on to Africa about not using condoms/protection.

Arctik_Firangi wrote:Reasons why Oz > US:

- The median household income in the United States is $52,000.

- Frazzled is currently running around a free man in the US.

- 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.

- It's already Wednesday here.


How's Tuesday treatin' ya, guys?

Why Texas > Oz
-Barbeque;
-TexMex;
-UT cheerleaders;
-Jackalopes;

Well, I always knew they were just going to dick about with the Stimulus money anyway, so this is no surprise...

Frazzled wrote:
Why Texas > Oz
-Barbeque;

mmm. Southern BBQ, how much I adore thee.

Also:

-Kangaroos don't jump in front of you and try to kill you while trying to drive
-Not every animal is poisonous
-People only get indirectly paid to have kids
-We don't have quite as weird expressions
-We don't spend $100+ on concert tickets for a show we don't actually know anything about

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:Also:

-Kangaroos don't jump in front of you and try to kill you while trying to drive
-Not every animal is poisonous
-People only get indirectly paid to have kids
-We don't have quite as weird expressions
-We don't spend $100+ on concert tickets for a show we don't actually know anything about

Well we do have deer that are ratable stand ins for said kangaroos.

My father remarried and moved to Australia. He drives some jeep-type thing with an open top. Last week he was driving and had to stop for kangaroos crossing the road, issue being not all of them hopped in front. A little one jumped in the back of his vehicle and was struggling to get out as the mother turned towards the vehicle to charge it. Luckily the little guy just jumped and made his way off, but when is the last time a deer jumped in your car?

A guy in Muskeegan, Michigan got cornered in a phone booth by a big buck while he was calling for help because he just smashed his car on said deer and ran off the road. The thing regained consciousness and was attacking the phone booth. The local radio station has his frantic 911 call they play for station breaks. I swear I am not making this up. It is quite hilarious to hear.

Back on topic though, I don't think it should be our responsibility to teach people how to clean themselves. That's called evolution. I don't mean to sound racist, but I am definitely biased against cultures... a lot of which that exist in monkey country africa who are so backwards they can't figure out how to wash their pee-pee?? I don't like the idea that we have to pay to potty train other cultures. Deadly diseases exist for a Darwinist reason.

I don't know what you guys are talking about.

I sleep much better at night knowing that the Africans are keeping their penises(penii? penexen?) clean. The less fromunda cheese in this world, the better.

Besides that... isn't there enough rampant breeding and starving and aids over there...? the last thing anybody should be doing is encouraging these people to pump out even more kids they can't take care of without foreign support by teaching them safe ways to rut and buck and sweat out another little pot-bellied starving kid covered in flies for the sappy commercials in the middle of the night to have to beg for donations to support them. Why is it that the most back-asswards countries are the ones who breed the most? Again, Darwin comes to mind. Have 20 kids, maybe 2 or 3 will survive, or not get aids, or not bleed to death during female circumcision rituals.

Sorry I just cant stand supporting savages. If they can't figure out how to wash their dicks, then maybe they should kind of phase out of the gene pool.

Guitardian, you are a wise man.

That was the most common-sense thing I've ever heard. I'm kind of in awe.

I hope you were being sarcastic. Hey I have human compassion and for a lot of these folks it is just their lot in life. But seriously, quit breeding if you are all covered in disease and famine, right? If they woulld stop raping villagers with their warbands they wouldnt be passing aids around everywhere, right? This is not about hoping to help people not get STDs and more uncared for kids... it should be about teaching them why NOT to. I dont care how much Bono want to get all activist about it, or some stuffed-shirt academics who really just need a grant for their 'study' and whatever excuses they come up with for humanitarian reasons. Maybe that makes me an insensitive donkey-cave, but I really believe that people who cannot be responsible for the consequenses should STOP BREEDING. If you don't have food to feed your family, MOVE SOMEWHERE WHERE FOOD CAN GROW duh.
"wah wah we cant move our culture is here"
"yeah and your culture can die off here too then, because your idiocy shouldnt be my problem, I have enough problems of my own living in a more advanced civilised world who doesnt constantly sprout starving kids and spread disease through ignorance"

"Hey you! Stop being you!"

Guitardian wrote:I hope you were being sarcastic. Hey I have human compassion and for a lot of these folks it is just their lot in life. But seriously, quit breeding if you are all covered in disease and famine, right? If they woulld stop raping villagers with their warbands they wouldnt be passing aids around everywhere, right? This is not about hoping to help people not get STDs and more uncared for kids... it should be about teaching them why NOT to. I dont care how much Bono want to get all activist about it, or some stuffed-shirt academics who really just need a grant for their 'study' and whatever excuses they come up with for humanitarian reasons. Maybe that makes me an insensitive donkey-cave, but I really believe that people who cannot be responsible for the consequenses should STOP BREEDING. If you don't have food to feed your family, MOVE SOMEWHERE WHERE FOOD CAN GROW duh.
"wah wah we cant move our culture is here"
"yeah and your culture can die off here too then, because your idiocy shouldnt be my problem, I have enough problems of my own living in a more advanced civilised world who doesnt constantly sprout starving kids and spread disease through ignorance"

Pro tip, Until Guiti either gets coffee or comes off the mega grande bucket of expresso he just had, everyone just move slowly, very slowly...

Genes =/= culture. Take all the African genes out of society and the USA looses most of their athletes, plenty of businessmen, judges, politicians etc.

Stick a whiter than white republican baby in the culture that exists in some parts of Africa and you will see them growing up and doing things according to that culture, not some genetic programming which tells them to dislike poor people and be rashly xenophobic.

Any money spent on changing the culture to something which keeps people safe is money well spent. Just a shame there is not a cohesive plan to bring Africa, and other 3rd world areas to bring them up into the 2nd and 1st world.

SilverMK2 wrote:Genes =/= culture. Take all the African genes out of society and the USA looses most of their athletes, plenty of businessmen, judges, politicians etc.

Stick a whiter than white republican baby in the culture that exists in some parts of Africa and you will see them growing up and doing things according to that culture, not some genetic programming which tells them to dislike poor people and be rashly xenophobic.

Any money spent on changing the culture to something which keeps people safe is money well spent. Just a shame there is not a cohesive plan to bring Africa, and other 3rd world areas up into the 2nd and 1st world.

Shouldn't it be well spent...by them?

Snickers aside, how is this exactly "stimulus?" We can argue the merits of this spending for health reasons but stimulus to get the US economy moving again it aint.
In the words of Troy the Terror:

I'm not arguing about where the money came from or why it is being spent on what it is being spent on, what I am commenting on is the... and here I will be frank... incredibly ignorant comments being made about Africans and Africa.

Ha, common sense =/= applicable or humane, just like someone living purely by logic is likely to commit suicide. Nonetheless, it was a very common sense statement and it impressed me for it's extremity

OT again...

We have barbecues here too.

I've hit a kangaroo full on with a car... wasn't pretty. Fender was hanging off... incidentally we call bullbars 'roobars' here. Here's a popular decal:

...referring of course to the beloved children's television series 'Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'.

I once pulled up short of a roo in a van. A pretty young one. I kind of waited for him to get out of the way... instead the little bastard hopped up and headbutted out a foglamp. Probably just didn't like Volkswagens.
We have deer introduced over here - the ones that survive love it.

You also don't want to hit wombats. They can move like lightning and are as tough as gak - I was in a car with a mate who broke a rear wheel bearing on one.

Not all of our fauna are poisonous - many are simply able to literally kick the gak out of you. My mother had a pet dog picked up and disemboweled by a kangaroo. Emus are pretty mean too.

On the other hand the common Aussie death adder is 2.5ft long and has non-retractable fangs the same size as that of the 7-8ft African Black Mamba, a close relative.

We don't need jackalopes, we have dropbears.

Cannerus, who's that guy with the weird expression you use as an avatar pic? Not an American, I presume.

Keep your cheerleaders and TexMex. We have plenty of beaches, and if I want your food I can just go the restaurant called 'Tex Mex' on the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Accidentally taking your kid to a Gaga concert is not really a great point, but it's good to see you're keeping up on your research, Canny'. There are whinging moralists everywhere. Besides, we deliberately pay large amounts of money to criticise foreigners. Example.

Back on topic...

Guitardian wrote:I hope you were being sarcastic. Hey I have human compassion and for a lot of these folks it is just their lot in life. But seriously, quit breeding if you are all covered in disease and famine, right? If they woulld stop raping villagers with their warbands they wouldnt be passing aids around everywhere, right? This is not about hoping to help people not get STDs and more uncared for kids... it should be about teaching them why NOT to. I dont care how much Bono want to get all activist about it, or some stuffed-shirt academics who really just need a grant for their 'study' and whatever excuses they come up with for humanitarian reasons. Maybe that makes me an insensitive donkey-cave, but I really believe that people who cannot be responsible for the consequenses should STOP BREEDING. If you don't have food to feed your family, MOVE SOMEWHERE WHERE FOOD CAN GROW duh.
"wah wah we cant move our culture is here"
"yeah and your culture can die off here too then, because your idiocy shouldnt be my problem, I have enough problems of my own living in a more advanced civilised world who doesnt constantly sprout starving kids and spread disease through ignorance"

Hurm. Reminds me of:

John Wayne wrote:I believe in white supremacy until blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.... The academic community has developed certain tests that determine whether the blacks are sufficiently equipped scholastically.... I don't feel guilty about the fact that five or ten generations ago these people were slaves. Now I'm not condoning slavery. It's just a fact of life, like the kid who gets infantile paralysis and can't play football like the rest of us.

That would be me, actually...

And I'll argue your point on "Tex Mex." The first thing my father does when he comes back in is eat mexican food, regardless of anything else. Your strict vegetable importation is a blessing and a curse!

Does not being impressed with the state of affairs in Africa make one racist?

Seems like a bit of a leap to me.

Well, some of us white people can trace our ancestry back to being serfs too... do I claim repairations from the Queen for that? We move along and we develop into a more advanced culture.

I do have compassion for the horrendous conditions in much of Africa. I have been there and visited a friend who was working at a hospice. I have seen it, and it disgusted me.

The problem I have here is that teaching them how to wash after pumping out another kid is not constructive. Take care of them better the ones who are already alive, but please please stop having more of them when you can't even deal with the ones you have. It's as if they are encouraging people to have more sex. That's all good and well in a 1st world country who understands what a prophylactic is, but out there?

That money could be far better spent feeding the kids, educating the adults, and maybe airlifting a billion condoms.

It is not wrong or racist to assert the opinion that a primitive and failing culture is primitive and failing. Many of my friends are African American, two of them are actually African (Kenya, the lucky advanced place who can afford to send their sons overseas). This is not about racism or a negative view of africa. This is about rampant disease and starvation, washing your pee pee is not an answer to that, especially when it runs us $800000 for a friggin 'STUDY' while we cant even pay off our own debts.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
oh yeah. sorry frazz, i had my coffee im in a better mood now mwaahaahaa

Seconded. Guitardian is not saying, "I hate Africans, and we should let them die," he's saying that here in the West we have our own problems to deal with, and we really need to focus more on helping ourselves first before we go out and help others. I'll admit his statements were a bit....harsh. But they make sense, technically. I mean....evolution only works if the weak die off and the strong survive. We're kinda screwing our species here.

Not that I believe that, I'm just saying from a logic standpoint it makes sense. From an ethics standpoint? Well...I wouldn't be able to sleep well if I knew I was making little babies somewhere in the world starve to death.

Some of my best friends are black!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

ChrisWWII wrote:Seconded. Guitardian is not saying, "I hate Africans, and we should let them die,"...

Actually, that's exactly what he said:

Sorry I just cant stand supporting savages. If they can't figure out how to wash their dicks, then maybe they should kind of phase out of the gene pool.

Thank you, jwoof

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:That would be me, actually...

And I'll argue your point on "Tex Mex." The first thing my father does when he comes back in is eat mexican food, regardless of anything else. Your strict vegetable importation is a blessing and a curse!

Where's your chin?

I'll grant you your point on TexMex. I have trouble finding baba ghannouj here too... so I make my own. I cooked Mex last week - the only thing I couldn't find within two blocks was fresh mexican herbs.

I'm SAYING, teaching them basic hygene is not going to help. They will die off if nothing is done to construct a more advanced infrastructure and a less tribal mindset. Hygene is not exactly an $800000 necessary lesson towards that end. Plenty of places in Africa are more advanced and civil and have working economies and infrastructures. Plenty of other places stitch their little girls gakker shut when she reaches puberty, worries about tribal borders, and needs missionaries or greenpeace to do practically everything for them. I dont like the idea of cultures dying off any more than anyone else... if they can be saved. I dont see this as a way of saving them though.

Nobody thought twice about letting me die when I ran into hard times, so out of my own experience, I would not like to see someone who needs aid not get it, at least at the minimal level. If it's all about encouraging them to have disease free sex then that isn't exactly saving them, just making a problem worse.

Let's not ignore the fact that we have supported one scientist with a questionable (or revolutionary?) theory, and his team of unpaid interns. Thank the gods they will not feel the pain of the economic pinch, and will be free to concentrate on the really big issues, like those dirty African penii. If we can prove that Africans like bathing up to 12 hours after sex, maybe we can then prove that this prevents AIDS, or something.

I'm normally happy to see money put into education, but it really seems like this could have been better spent.