Pope Under Fire For Asserting Condoms Aggravate AIDS Problem

The United Nations AIDS agency has joined the chorus of politicians and activists critical of Pope Benedict XVIfor saying as he embarked on a tour of Africa this week that condoms“increase the problem” of the disease. With more than 7,400 newinfections of H.I.V., which causes AIDS, reported daily, “condoms arean essential part of combination prevention,” the agency, Unaids, saidThursday in a statement issued from its Geneva headquarters. Thestatement added that the condom was “the single, most efficient,available technology to reduce the sexual transmission of H.I.V. andother sexually transmitted infections.” Unaids said it had made stridesin getting sexually active young people in many African countries tostart using condoms. The pope, who said Mass before some 60,000 peoplein Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Thursday, had stressed abstinence as the keymethod to combat AIDS.

The Vatican has yet again been forced to revise statements made by PopeBenedict XVI as he embarked on a foreign trip. En route to Cameroon onMarch 17, the pope claimed that condom use would “aggravate theproblem” of HIV.

A transcript of the pope’scomments on the Vatican’s Web site altered the comment to suggest thatcondoms “risked” aggravating the problem.

Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, welcomed the change asa sign that the pope is not infallible on this issue and is willing toacknowledge his mistakes.

“The pope has admitted that he is unsure whether condoms can helpalleviate the spread of HIV. Where there is doubt there is freedom andCatholics can make up their own minds whether they use condoms or not.Indeed, the vast majority of Catholics has already made this call anduse condoms to protect themselves and their partners against STIs,including HIV.