AIDS: The Role of Islamic Sexual Rules in Prevention

The spread of "Fo!Jisha " that is adultery and homosexuality in a society, results in a high incidence of serious sexually-transmilled diseases. In addition, they may lead to the spread of new epidemic diseases such as AIDS. These fac1s have all been mentioned in a " ljadirh " by Prophet MoJ;ammad (PBUH): "... Whenever adultery and hornosexuality appear in a society and people make them public (and become ac-ceptable), plague and other diseases which were previously not known to their predecessors will appear and spread among them... '" For prevention against these diseases, Islam has laid down clear measures; encouraging youth to get married and prohibiting the sexual practices of adultery and homosexuality. Key words: AIDS, public health, sex, ethics. In June and July 198I tbe first cases of the Ac-quired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were reported in the U.S.A. as cases of Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia in association with the rare skin malignancy, Kaposi's sarcoma. 2 These early cases were identified in previously healthy active homosex-ual men in New York and Los Angeles.1 Soon a world-wide concern escalated as more cases were identified. Over the last four years more than six thousand cases of AIDS have been reported from all over the United States and other Western European Cou ntries. About 71 OJo of these cases were reported in young active homosexual men. ' Moreover AIDS cases have also been reported in women who were sexual partners of male patients with AIDS. ' All of the epidemiologic data collected to date about this syndrome point to the important role of person-to-person transmission occuring mainly through sexual, and in particular homosexual, con-tact. This route of transmission could be very impor-tant since the majority (71 O/o) of patients reported ar