SEXUALITY, ILLNESS, AND HEALTH/A NEW DISEASE OF A NEW TIME: MARRIAGE TO PROTECT FROM AIDS
Marriage and sexual activity restricted to one exclusive partner is one of the best steps toward holding this deadly disease in check until a vaccine and, we hope, a cure can be found. Many of the opportunities are less likely to transmit the AIDS virus than other sexual interactions, but they are not preventive measures. Only sexual exclusivity is a reasonable approach at this time, making super marital sex even more of a positive health step for self and for society.
Dr. Harold Lief, a pioneer in the study of sex and marriage, describes what he calls FAIDS, or the fear of AIDS. It is certainly to be expected that any of us would fear a deadly disease, but fear will not help us find the exclusive intimacy that would decrease the spread of AIDS. Fear and anxiety actually weaken the immune system and allow even more vulnerability to the AIDS virus. If we want to lessen our chances of falling victim to any virus, I believe we must strengthen our immune system by healthy daily living and loving styles, not weaken it medically or by our living style. The focus on insertion, ejaculation, variety, and adventure that dominated the first three perspectives only makes us more vulnerable to any disease, including AIDS. The editors of a major journal, The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, state, “Voluntary abstention from sex with infected persons is our best weapon against the spread of AIDS to the general population.” Another positive step is to commit intimately, intensely, and over time to one partner, to find super sex in one long-lasting, loving relationship.
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