World Aids Day

It is important to keep referring to forgotten issues. HIV/AIDS is never spoken off in the Arab World. If it is, then with a mixture of derogatory and somewhat humiliating tone. There are no reliable statistics about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in th Arab region simply because people prefer not to know and more importantly because the lack of sufficient awareness raising activities and support to infected individuals.
Arab societies offer one solution to HIV/AIDS: abstinence. In a society were sexual relations are the most extreme of taboos, there is a segment of population that tends to outcast those who are infected (regardless of the means of infection). While stigmatising HIV+ is common elsewhere, it carries extra weight in Arab society due to its association with sex.
It is probably worth it to come out with real information about HIV/AIDS, providing other alternative solutions to avoiding infection (safe sex), facilitating access to health care and (if needed) rehabilitation services to these individuals. More and more people should speak up in order to be able to put a stop to this disease. The ridiculous "don't do it" is not really an answer. If people are not able to access information on HIV/AIDS it is likely to spread more.