"Who wants a sweet with the wrapper still on?"

The above refers to a saying in Africa, which contributes to African socities' distrust of condoms. A recent article in the New York Times tells the sad story of many people, especially women, in this part of the world. Titled "When marriage kills" it deals with the fact that marriage is probably the No 1 "carrier" of HIV and Aids.

"Sex kills all the time, particularly here in Africa. But prudishness can be just as lethal. President Bush is focusing his program against AIDS in Africa on sexual abstinence and marital fidelity, relegating condoms to a distant third. It's the kind of well-meaning policy that bubbles up out of a White House prayer meeting but that will mean a lot of unnecessary deaths on the ground in Africa. The stark reality is that what kills young women here is often not promiscuity, but marriage. Indeed, just about the deadliest thing a woman in southern Africa can do is get married."

If you're located in or visiting Sweden, do pay a visit to the excellent exhibition on HIV/Aids at the Museum of World Culture in Göteborg.