to hold his hand in the fire by supporting condoms in schools. It would be easy for Mr. Edness to withdraw support for the idea in the face of opposition from the fundamentalist churches and opposition from head teachers. We do not know, but we would conclude that Mr. Edness has decided to continue to support condoms in schools simply because he knows he is right to try to save lives.

He has said that he respects the views of those people who object to using the schools to distribute condoms. He does not, however, abandon his aims to protect public health, and he is correct not to do so.

Every adult in the Country knows of a reckless time in his or her youth. No matter how careful and concerned the parental instruction and no matter how strong a young person's ties to the church, there were reckless times. These days a reckless and unprotected sexual time can lead to death. It is difficult in the face of a death threat to refuse youths a condom.

Mr. Edness is not, of course, the Minister of Morals or the Minister of Religious Studies or the Minister of People's Souls. Mr. Edness is the Minister of Health and Welfare and he has a sworn duty to protect the health and the welfare of the people.

In our view, Mr. Edness is not promoting promiscuity, as some people suggest, but he is promoting health protection. The two things are very different. Mr.

Edness is not suggesting that people should go and fornicate in the bushes, but he is suggesting that if they do fornicate, they should use a condom to prevent AIDS. The churches have tried and failed for 2,000 years to prevent promiscuity. Only in recent years have health ministers had to try to prevent AIDS. While condoms are not perfect, they are protection against AIDS.

Unprotected sex, heterosexual or homosexual, can be fatal.

Many young people already think they are not vulnerable to AIDS. They do not believe THEY will or can get AIDS. They believed the propaganda they were taught, that AIDS was a disease of gays and drug abusers. But, as one of the radio ads says, "Don't think this only happens in big cities and not small islands.'' It seems to us that some churches knee-jerk object to anything to do with sex, with one major exception. Generally the fundamentalist churches do not preach the commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery.'' These churches are now in the strange position of condoning adultery while suggesting that teenage abstinence, which the churches know is unrealistic because they baptise the out-of-wedlock babies, should be used as health care.

AIDS is a daily reality and so is sex. This part of the world tried unsuccessfully to hide from AIDS by pretending it was a disease of Haitians, homosexuals and IV drug users. But we now accept what Africa has long evidenced, AIDS is an equal opportunity killer.

Mr. Edness knows that. He understands his function as Minister of Health. We just wish other people would get out of the way and let him do the job.

Objecting on moral grounds is one thing. Obstructing prevention of a killer disease is immoral.

The churches and the head teachers have to adopt the slogan used in ads by the Alan Vincent Smith Foundation, "Working with you to help prevent the spread of HIV.''