Advice on A.I.D.S.

Press, 31 May 1986, Page 18

Advice on A.I.D.S.

Sir, — Dr Paul Goldwater’s advice on A.I.D.S. (May 27) comes at a convenient time for Fran Wilde’s bill. His proposals are likely to spread A.I.D.S. The condom “con” is no substitute for teaching abstinence. You cannot short-circuit the law of cause and effect with latex. Distributing needles and syringes to drug addicts is as helpful as giving cyanide to the suicidal. Also, Dr Goldwater wants to blow up selfesteem in those who are “less likely to make safe sexual choices.” New Zealand’s young people are certainly “at risk” with Dr Goldwater’s social panacea. — Yours, etc., J. NIHONIHO. May 27, 1986.

Sir,—While rejecting my letters on A.I.D.S. as contributing no new arguments, you publish the views of Dr Goldwater (May 27), frankly peeved at not getting a hand-out for an “epidemiological study,” repeating so much rubbish. There is absolutely no evidence that 10 per cent of 13-year-old boys are homosexual, thus needing to “know about A.1.D.5.” A “small” study in France showed no A.I.D.S. transmission between schoolchildren, but some of hepatitis B, which a microbiologist knows is highly blood-contagious. But New Zealand boys "dressed more scantily," so we should panic over non-existent juvenile A.I.D.S. and accept the propaganda value of tk* disease. Dr Goldwater flagrantly pushes law reform,

repeating threadbare arguments for age of consent at 16, clean needles for addicts and condoms for safer anal sex. I see no “horrendous” legal difficulties in recognising a difference between heterosexual and homosexual behaviour. — Yours, etc., VARIAN J. WILSON. May 27, 1986.