Condoms Don't Stop AIDS?

Yahoo

The lives of Roman Catholics in some of the countries worst hit by HIV /AIDS are being put at even greater risk by advice from their churches that the use of condoms does not prevent transmission of the disease, according to a British television program.

If condoms cannot be absolutely guaranteed to block sperm, they stand even less chance of stopping the much smaller virus, the churches' argument runs.

The Roman Catholic church opposes any form of artificial contraception -- particularly condoms, which it says promote promiscuity.

The far-right wing of the Catholic Church has been saying this for years. The problem is that they are a teeny weeny bit right. The WHO says that properly used condoms will reduce the risk of infection by HIV by 90%. Suggesting, of course, that there is a small but not insignificant chance that you can get infected with HIV even if you use a condom properly.

The other reality is that it is obvious that condoms don't get used properly, thus the existing stats on pregnancies while using condoms. Which would, according to the WHO, increase your chances of an HIV infection.

The rabidly anti-homosexual wing of the Church latches on to these undisputed facts and paints with a broad brush. Many in this wing of the Church refuse to even acknowledge that HIV infection is a heterosexual problem at all. These are the same folks that insist that the child molestation scandel is all about homosexuals.

They're wrong in their arguments. But, the basic Church teaching is that birth control is immoral, and that marriage exists for the purpose of producing children. Sex outside of marriage is immoral. There is no way to reconcile those basic teachings with any suggestion to use condoms; they are at odds in an unavoidable way.

I would suggest, however, that the number of HIV infected people who are practicing Roman Catholics is a very small number when compared to the total number of HIV infected people. The teachings of the Church apply to few people in Africa or Asia. It would also seem that most of the HIV infections were aquired in ways that the Church teaches are immoral, such as sex outside of marriage, so it would appear obvious that the teachings of the Church are unimportant in the grand scheme of things in these regions.

Ranting about the Church is fine. But, the actions of the Church as a whole are not spreading HIV. It is the actions of millions of people, some who are better educated than you or I, that are spreading this disease. The proper use of condoms will reduce your chances of getting HIV. Not patronizing prostitutes, not cheating on your wife, and not engaging in anal sex will also reduce your chances of getting HIV, and probably to a greater extent. Human behavioral choices are spreading HIV in Asia or Africa, not the moral teachings of a foreign Church.

-- posted by Chuck at Friday, October 10, 2003 | E-mail | Permalink | Main | 0 comments

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Friday, October 10, 2003

Condoms Don't Stop AIDS?