Abstinence, Be faithful,  and use a Condom

Abstinence, be faithful, use a condom, also known as the ABC strategy or abstinence plus of sex education, is a sex education policy based on harm reduction which modifies the strict approach of abstinence-only sex education by including education about safe sex and birth control methods. The ABC approach was developed in response to the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and to prevent the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases.

It recommends sexual abstinence outside marriage as an ideal, having only a single long-term sexual partner. The use of condom and other safe sex practices is advocated only if it is not possible to remain with a single sexual partner. Advocating this ideal, whilst pragmatically dealing with the fact that abstinence only sex education is ineffective by itself, has made the ABC approach more palatable to many African governments and U.S. funding agencies who answer to a majority Christian voter base.

The ABC approach has notably been used in African countries like Botswana and Uganda.

Condoms, Needles, and Negotiation

Condoms, needles, and negotiation, also known as the CNN approach, is a harm reducation approach to reducing the rate of transmission of sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS through the use of safer sex and reducing the risks in intravenous drug use through the provision on clean needles.

Unlike the abstinence, be faithful and use a condom, or "ABC" approach to this problem, it does not aim to promote any form of sexual morality, but aims primarily at reducing the rate of transmission among high risk groups such as women in areas where women have low levels of social power, prostitutes and their clients, and intravenous drug users.

Abstinence as an alternative to safe sex:

One way to avoid the risk associated with sexual contact is to abstain from sexual activity entirely, which nearly eliminates the chances of contracting STDs or HIV.

Disease classified as sexually transmitted diseases may also be transmitted through non-sexual means. Thus, abstinence from sexual behavior does not guarantee protection against STDs. For example, HIV may be transmitted through contaminated needles, using tattooing, body piercing, or injection. Health-care workers have acquired HIV through occupational exposure to accidental injuries with needles.

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