Pope says condoms are no good against HIV

[Gangerolf]

Health experts around the world urge people to use condoms to protect themselves from HIV and a host of sexually transmitted infections.

However, the Catholic Church has consistently refused to back such calls. The Vatican is opposed to contraception and has advocated that people change their behaviour instead.

But according to Panorama, the Church is now telling people that condoms do not work.

In an interview, one of the Vatican's most senior cardinals Alfonso Lopez Trujillo suggested HIV could even pass through condoms.

"The Aids virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon. The spermatozoon can easily pass through the 'net' that is formed by the condom," he says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3176982.stm

Catholisism is so backwards why don't they merge with islam or something. /end troll

If the pope gets the nobel peace prize I'll vomit

discuss

[Timexwatch]

Last time I checked, what one Cardinal says isn't official policy...

[Wittlich]

Well, the HIV epidemic is just more fuel that the Roman Catholic church uses to fuel the belief of: "be fruitful and multiply" - It doesn't matter that there is already too many people in this world to feed properly...

[Gangerolf]

The Archbishop of Nairobi Raphael Ndingi Nzeki told Panaroma that condoms were helping to spread the virus.

"Aids...has grown so fast because of the availability of condoms," he said.

[centrifuge]

HIV can pass through ram skin condoms, but not latex...


Even so, cardinals know about God, scientists know about HIV...

[Gangerolf]

exactly. they shouldn't be talking about stuff they know **** all about. especially when they have the backing of the world's most influential church (or speak on behalf of it )

[Datajack Franit]

How are they supposed to talk about sex issues when all they can do is raping young kids

[centrifuge]

oh please...

[Zero]

You all missed the point. What the pope is saying is condoms by default do not work agst preventing HIVs. However, a blessed condoms should have no such problems.

Go get your condoms blessed folks.

[Traianvs]

well jack has got a point you know...

[Dinner]

I'd bet the Pope meant that condoms aren't 100% effective not that they are useless.

[alva]

Yeah, we really ought to give this man the Nobel prize for peace..., ain't he a saint.. * sigh *

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I'd bet the Pope meant that condoms aren't 100% effective not that they are useless.

So why were the following statements made in the linked to article?

The programme includes a Catholic nun advising her HIV-infected choir master not to use condoms with his wife because "the virus can pass through".

The Archbishop of Nairobi Raphael Ndingi Nzeki told Panaroma that condoms were helping to spread the virus.

"Aids...has grown so fast because of the availability of condoms," he said.

The conduct of the Catholic church on this matter is unbelievably appalling.

[Dr Strangelove]

Condoms are rated as only "moderately effective" at preventing the spread of the HIV virus by the WHO. Circumcision appears to be about equally effective. Either technique decreases the risk of catching the HIV virus by only about 50% at best.

If you are infected with the HIV virus you should abstain! I don't know of any health organization that officially approves of HIV positive people engaging in sexual intercourse while using a condom. To do so would make that organisation an accomplice to murder. In Africa the probability that an HIV infected person will pass the virus to his mate is about 1:30 for each episode of sexual contact. Using a condome might improve that to 1:60. If they have intercourse 3 times/week, how many weeks will it take to make the cumulative risk of transmission to more than 50%?

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Condoms are rated as only "moderately effective" at preventing the spread of the HIV virus by the WHO. Circumcision appears to be about equally effective. Either technique decreases the risk of catching the HIV virus by only about 50% at best.

A HIGHLY misleading statistic. I'm guessing that included not just improperly applied condems and the like, but a large number of sexual encounters over a prolonged period. I believe for a single incident its well over 93% effective and much higher in ideal conditions. The reason circumcisions tend to be close to the same effectiveness over the longterm (I suspect you're exaggering the similarity and would like to see a link) because one a circumcision is done properly it can't be screwed up when having sex. The Vactican representatives also seemed to be specificly suggesting that a properly applied condom is highly ineffective in blocking the AIDS virus.