HIV/AIDS

A brief Seventh-day Adventist perspective

AIDS is spreading so rapidly that Christian churches in many countries of the world will soon include at least one member who has a friend or relative with the disease.

What positive actions is the Seventh-day Adventist church taking?

Seventh-day Adventists believe the Christian response to AIDS must be compassionate, helpful, personal, practical and redemptive. We are to love and care for those with the disease just as Jesus loved and cared for the sick of His day.

Avoiding sexual contact before marriage and maintaining a faithful, monogamous relationship with an unaffected person in marriage is the best way to reduce the risk of contracting the HIV virus. Avoiding the use of needles that have not been sterilised and ensuring the safety of blood products can also help prevent HIV.

Adventists are committed to:

• Providing education that teaches prevention of HIV
• Fighting against the circulation, sale and use of drugs
• Supporting sex education teaching that human sexuality belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman
• Promoting the biblical concept that sexuality intimacy excludes promiscuous and all other sexual relationships that may increase exposure to HIV

The Bible writer, James, advises, "If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"

The Seventh-day Adventist Church released a statement on AIDS in 1990.

Statement on Education in Relation to HIV/AIDS

The Seventh-day Adventist Church promotes the biblical model of sexuality, a monogamous marital relationship and sexual abstinence outside of marriage.

Recognising our responsibility to encourage behaviour within this biblical model but also to protect people who make different life choices, the Seventh-day Adventist church will where appropriate educate people about safe sex practices. Because condom use and distribution forms part of the intervention strategy for those who choose not to accept the biblical model, it is important that information be provided about the use, benefits and limitations of condoms.

Despite the fact that condom use might be suggested in certain cases as a prevention measure to stop the spread of HIV infection, it should never be inferred that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is promoting sex outside of marriage.

HIV/AIDS education should always include an outline of the physical, social, emotional and spiritual benefits of following the biblical model of sexuality.

This statement is issued by the Adventist Health department in the South Pacific.