Studies suggest very little difference in sexual mores between the South African and United States groups that were polled with regard to the amount of sexual activity-especially among youth.

In South Africa, however, a history of isolated male migrant labor with wives and children being left at home may have contributed to more extramarital activity. Thousands of migrant miners would stay away from home for months at a time in the large mine hostels. Similarly, the tracking routes through Central Africa were mapped out as the routes of transmission of HIV/AIDS in Uganda early in the epidemic.

Cultural resistance to change in areas of sexual behavior may also have impeded the implementation of recommendations, which are seen as alien.

The recent availability of medications has not been utilized in Africa. The major hurdle has been the cost. In addition, confusion-often at the government level-has existed.

It is somewhat of a vicious cycle: poverty and economic disadvantage tends to breed the social situations in which HIV/AIDS is proliferated. Sex trade becomes a means of survival, family life is deteriorated, orphans have no role models, alcohol and drug usage proliferates, the fragmentation of society feeds back into promiscuity, and the cycle goes on.

The complexity of South Africa's problems demands a cohesive approach requiring all racial components, all socioeconomic strata, and all society's elements such as the faith-based community to collaborate in multifaceted ways to combat the problem.

Our church is becoming increasingly aware of the problems and is involving itself in the multifaceted approach required to protect the uninfected, comfort those infected, and nurture the orphans and the elderly impacted by this problem. The retreat into our splendid ivory towers with thoughts that this is "not our problem" is an unfortunate, unrealistic understanding of the situation. Everyone will be impacted by the social, economic, humanitarian, and spiritual implications of this plague.

History will excoriate us for duplicity and complicity, and mark us as a sore on the face of Christianity, if we do not respond to the needs exposed by this epidemic.

What is it about the "Mediterranean diet" that is so good?

There are many good things about the Mediterranean diet-lovely homemade pasta, ladlefuls of ripe tomatoes . . . mmm! However, the olive oil probably plays a major role. A recent study that compared a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFAs (found in foods such as olive oil and peanut butter) to the American Heart Association's Step II Diet-a regimen low in all fats-gave some interesting results. Both diets lowered total cholesterol and the LDL (bad cholesterol). But the MUFA-rich diet also lowered the triglycerides and kept the good cholesterol, HDL, stable.

This means a diet rich in MUFAs is heart-protective. Flaxseed oil is another rich source of MUFAs, as are the fish oils.

This study points out the need for diligence and care in recommending a radical change in diets until all the possible ramifications have been evaluated.

_________________________
Allan R. Handysides, M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.P. (c), is director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department; Peter N. Landless, M.B., B.Ch., M.Med., F.C.P.(SA), is ICPA executive director and associate director of Health Ministries.