Officials in Tanzania plan to ban the sale of lube because they believe it encourages homosexuality and thus spreads HIV, AFP reports:
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu (pictured) justified the move on the grounds that the product encourages homosexuality, which is banned in the east African nation.
“It is true that the government has banned the importation and use of the jelly to curb the spread of HIV,” the minister told local media on Tuesday. “It is estimated that 23 percent of men who have sex with men in Tanzania are living with HIV/AIDS,” he added.
“I have instructed stakeholders working with gay people to remove the products from the market.”
The Tanzanian government says that it will use the funding that had been going to gay health advocacy groups and put it towards adding beds to maternity wards.
