HIV/Aids: Catholic Church in Condom Palaver

AllAfrica ^ | Chioma Obinna

[narses]

The Catholic Church has been accused of warning people in African, Asian and other countries with high rates of HIV infection that condoms do not protect against the transmission of the virus, the claims come just a day after a report revealed that a young person is now infected with HIV every 14 seconds.

According to BBC report, "cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns in four continents of the church have been quoted as saying HIV can pass through tiny holes in condoms but latest warnings were made in a Panorama programme called 'Sex and the Holy City' by one of the Vatican's most senior cardinals Alfonso Lopez Trujillo who allegedly suggests that the AIDS virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon and could pass through net formed by the condom.

Trujillo, President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, called on governments to urge people not to use condoms.

His words "These margins of uncertainty, should represent an obligation on the part of the health ministries and all these campaigns to act in the same way as they do, with regard to cigarettes, which they state to be a danger."

In swift reaction to this claim, the World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the comments and warned the Vatican to desist from putting lives at risk with such utterances.

A spokeswoman to WHO was quoted as saying that" Statements like this are quite dangerous"We are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people and currently affects around 42 million. "There is so much evidence to show that condoms don't let sexually transmitted infections like HIV through. "Anyone who says otherwise is just wrong."

Also reacting, Catherine Hankins, Chief Scientific Advisor to UNAIDS,, argued that the statements by Catholic Church are totally incorrect saying that Latex condoms are impermeable. She added that latex condoms are not only good but can perfectly prevent HIV transmission from one person to another during sex.

According to her, " "It is very unfortunate to have this type of misinformation being broadcast, "It is a concern. From a technical point of view, the statements are totally incorrect. "Latex condoms are impermeable. They do prevent HIV transmission."

Meanwhile, several anti - AIDS campaigns have also condemned the call by the Vatican arguing that condoms are straightforward and effective way of preventing HIV transmission and to suggest otherwise is dangerous.

However, the claim by the Catholic Church is already having effect on the condom distribution activities of some anti HIV/AIDS programmes.

Efforts to get a reaction from Catholic Secretariat in Lagos were unsuccessful as at press time.

[Unam Sanctam]

People are going to lie, cheat, steal and murder also. Does that mean the Church has to tell them of safer ways to accomplish the above?

[cookcounty]

"Botswana and Zimbabwe are ranked among the top countries world-wide for HIV prevalence. Yet both countries are condom-friendly and make condoms readily available. In 1991, Uganda also had an HIV infection rate of more than 20%. By 2001, however, the rate was only 6%."

"A 2002 Harvard study conducted by anthropologist Edward C. Green and Vinand Nantulya, an infectious-disease specialist, revealed the cause of the discrepancies between Uganda's HIV infection rate and those of other heavily infected countries. Uganda had begun a program focusing on abstinence and fidelity instead of condoms. While the rate of HIV infection in every other country continued to escalate, Uganda's fell dramatically.

Yet the gay lobby wants to bury this fact. Saving lives might interfere with their ability to find willing partners.

[narses]

You claim: "Condoms greatly reduce the rate of AIDS transmissions." Explain these FACTS:

Botswana and Zimbabwe are ranked among the top countries world-wide for HIV prevalence. Yet both countries are condom-friendly and make condoms readily available. In 1991, Uganda also had an HIV infection rate of more than 20%. By 2001, however, the rate was only 6%.

A 2002 Harvard study conducted by anthropologist Edward C. Green and Vinand Nantulya, an infectious-disease specialist, revealed the cause of the discrepancies between Uganda's HIV infection rate and those of other heavily infected countries. Uganda had begun a program focusing on abstinence and fidelity instead of condoms. While the rate of HIV infection in every other country continued to escalate, Uganda's fell dramatically. (Lest there be any concern over the researchers' religious zeal, Mr. Green describes himself as a "flaming liberal" who does not attend church.)"

[Snidely Whiplash]

http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/cgafrica.htm

Might wanna rethink your choice of sources. This outfit is fond of claiming that HIV does not in fact cause AIDS, and that the whole thing is just a big scam by the Big Bad Medical Community.

Snidely

[Snidely Whiplash]

[snip cherry-picked anecdotes] Care for ketchup on your crow?

From what I can find, the decline in HIV infections in Uganda has been widely attributed to a combination of education about abstinence, marital fidelity and...GASP! condom use.

As an aside, I recall reading in an article that Catholic Church reps in Africa were in fact even discouraging condom use within marriages where one partner was known to be HIV positive. That's not merely irresponsible, it verges on homicidal.

Snidely

[narses]

Folks on this thread pretend those facts don't exist. They LIE about what the Church says. Why?

[narses]

LOL, you concede the Uganda data and then claim (absent any supporting facts) that condoms are the reason. What motivates your obfuscation? Is it bigotry?

[narses]

"Please quote one "lie" that has been stated."

He can't, he won't.

[Unam Sanctam]

As an aside, I recall reading in an article that Catholic Church reps in Africa were in fact even discouraging condom use within marriages where one partner was known to be HIV positive. That's not merely irresponsible, it verges on homicidal.

I note no documentation. In any event, close cases make bad law. I would hope that this married couple were counseled to abstain. It would appear to me for the HIV positive person to be rather homicidal if he is willing to take even a 10% chance of infecting his spouse.

[Intolerant in NJ]

... She added that latex condoms are not only good but can perfectly prevent HIV transmission from one person to another during sex...except for that fifteen percent of the time they fail outright by breaking, slipping off, etc...pretty much the same rate of unhappy consequences as putting a single bullet into a revolver for a game of Russian roulette......

[ABrit]

From the WHO website:

CASE DEFINITIONS FOR NOTIFYING DISEASE OCCURRENCE
BY COMMUNITY TO HEALTH FACILITY


AIDS Any person with a large weight loss or diarrhoea for more than a month.


http://www.whoafr.org/ids/articles/engdiseasesurv.pdf

[ABrit]

See post 51 from the WHO webste.

[narses]

The numbers are appalling: An estimated 65 million Americans have a sexually transmitted disease, and about 15 million new infections arise each year. Suspicious that these figures indicate that condoms do not perform as advertised, family practitioner and then Rep. Thomas Coburn, R-Okla., called in June 2000 for a government analysis of their effectiveness in preventing disease transmission.

In response, 28 scientists pored over 138 peer-reviewed studies before issuing their report to the NIH. In the results of their work, released in late July, the scientists said they found little to no evidence that condoms are effective at preventing many STDs.

For example, while consistent and correct use of condoms was about 85% effective at preventing transmission of HIV, that translates into a failure rate of 15% for transmitting AIDS. (The rate can be much higher when condoms are not always used, or are used improperly.)

Moreover, HIV is actually harder to get than many sexually transmitted diseases, and it’s not the only killer in the bunch. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the cause of more than 90% of all cases of cervical cancer, which kills more American women each year than AIDS. The NIH analysis found no evidence that condoms prevent any HPV transmissions.

Condoms were between 49% and 100% effective in preventing the spread of gonorrhea in men, but no effect was found for women. And an array of other serious diseases — chlamydia, chancroid, trichomoniasis, syphilis and genital herpes — showed no reduction with condom use. These diseases also increase the risk of contracting HIV.

http://www.ncregister.com/Register_News/Tusnet-NIH.htm

[cookcounty]

"You obviously don't understand statistics. Condoms greatly reduce the rate of AIDS transmissions."

...Except in Africa.

[WackyKat]

People are going to lie, cheat, steal and murder also. Does that mean the Church has to tell them of safer ways to accomplish the above?

So you admit that you and the Church would rather have people die than use condoms.

[Unam Sanctam]

I admit nothing of the kind. The Church would rather have all avoid sin. Abstinence is the best way. It is not the Church's job to tell people how to sin.

[narses]

"So you admit that you and the Church would rather have people die than use condoms."

What a dishonest warping of what was said. We will all die, the question is what of? You would rather people die in mortal sin than follow God's laws?

[cookcounty]

"I recall reading in an article that Catholic Church reps in Africa were in fact even discouraging condom use within marriages where one partner was known to be HIV positive. That's not merely irresponsible, it verges on homicidal."

If my wife had AIDS I wouldn't have sex with her. And if I had AIDS, I for sure wouldn't have sex with her, rubber or not. You must be nuts.

[Palladin]

Even the most zealous Planned Parenthood advocate admits that latex condoms fail to prevent pregnancy 10% of the time. This means that even with a condom, one in ten acts of intercourse goes unprotected.

The failure rate is even greater for AIDS, and has been proven in many studies to be around 30%. It is indeed like Russian Roulette to have sex with an AIDS-infected individual, with or without a condom.

Africa's problems are greater and more deeply entrenched than anything that can be solved with a rubber product.

Promiscuity and infidelity and rape are rampant. Only a change in the minds and hearts and living conditions of the African people can reverse the deadly progress of AIDS on that continent.

[WackyKat]

You would rather people die in mortal sin than follow God's laws?

You have just confirmed my statement above that you would rather have people die a horrible death from AIDS than commit the "mortal sin" of using a condom.

Rubbers aren't mentioned in my Bible; could you cite me chapter and verse for the prohibition on using them to prevent disease and death? BTW, I know plenty of Catholics, and I am happy to say none of them are morally twisted like you.