Dispatches from the Creation Wars

Catholic Church Worsening AIDS Problem

Posted by Ed Brayton on October 26, 2007
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This seems pretty obvious to me. The rate of AIDS infections in Latin America is skyrocketing and part of the blame certainly lies with the Catholic Church teachings against the use of condoms:

Some 1.7 million people across Latin America are infected with the HIV virus or full-blown AIDS, and the epidemic is spreading swiftly with up to 410,000 new cases in 2006, up from as many as 320,000 new cases in 2004, according the UN AIDS program, UNAIDS.

“In Latin America the use of condoms has been demonized, but if they were used in every relation I guarantee the epidemic would be resolved in the region,” said Alberto Stella, the UNAIDS Coordinator for Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

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Comments

  1. #1 Don
    October 26, 2007

    The Catholic Church position on birth control is not having an effect on AIDS in Africa or South America.

    It’s pretty well known that the Church is against all sex outside of marriage. If someone is committing adultery, engaging in premarital sex or homosexual sex, it’s not likely that in the middle of the act he/she is going to say to him or herself “Well it’s immoral to wear a condom because the Church says so.” They are not already listening to the Church in the first place, so it stands to reason that if he or she is committing adultery, engaging in premarital sex or homosexual sex he/she doesn’t care what the Church has to say about condoms.

    Now if the Catholic Church said “have any type of sex you want but just don’t use a condom” then yes this UN official would have a point.

    This is a red herring for people who don’t agree with the Church when it comes to sexual morality. Hey if someone disagrees that’s fine, but this official doesn’t seem to know what he is talking about or perhaps he does and has an ax to grind with the Catholic Church.