October 09, 2003
Stopping AIDS
Oh, that Vatican.
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"The Aids virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon," Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Vatican (news - web sites)'s Pontifical Council for the Family, told the program.
"The spermatozoon can easily pass through the 'net' that is formed by the condom."
He said that just as health authorities warned about dangers like tobacco, so they had an obligation to issue similar warnings about condoms.
Dear Public: The Catholic Church is against condoms. Sex is for procreation. Sex belongs in marriage - without condoms - to make babies. These are our views. Don't use condoms. Thank you, that is all. Cardinal Trujillo |
Pretty dull, isn't it? He had to sex it up a bit, work in some controversy.
And then there's the business of "stopping" AIDS. Nothing, to date, has STOPPED AIDS. But you, Cardinal Trujillo, may be responsible stopping what's stopping AIDS so far in some individuals.
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While in Luak near Lake Victoria, Gordon Wambi, director of an AIDS testing center, said he had been prevented from distributing condoms because of church opposition.
hln
Posted by hln at October 9, 2003 12:51 PM | Health/Fitness/Nutrition | TrackBack
It's actually a very important point. We keep talking about using condoms to stop the spread of AIDS, when it isn't working. The tough part?
Condoms help "if used correctly and consistently." That has a lot more to do with behavior types than medical knowledge.
You know what does help? Abstinence. Serial Monogamy. Fidelity.
The Church may have different motives, but there's no doubt that their method of prevention is 100% effective.
If we cared more about stopping the spread of AIDS then we did maintaining ideological purity, we might be able to get the two sides together.
Posted by: TheYeti at October 9, 2003 02:57 PMThe Pope lecturing me on sexual behavior makes as much sense as an Orthodox Rabbi telling me which pork sausage I should eat.
Posted by: physics geek at October 10, 2003 09:46 AMHow about condoms AND abstinence/fidelity? That's the only practical approach.
Posted by: Little Miss Attila at November 19, 2003 04:12 AM