If you haven't heard by now, Pope Benedict XVI has stated that condoms are not the solution to the AIDS epidemic in Africa, even with the knowledge that 22 million people are living with HIV within the continent. He declared, "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms… On the contrary, it increases the problem."
With all due respect to you Catholics out there, his holy water must have been spiked with a whole lot of crazy. All I have to say in response to his foolishness is, "You can't resolve the AIDS crisis with abstinence and monogamy education. On the contrary, it increases the problem."
Get your rubbers on, boys… fighting this sort of ignorance is going to be a humpy ride.
– Dewitt
So it’s okay to rape children, but only if it’s bareback?
Hey Popester ! Idiot says what?
Why does anyone continue to listen to anything the Vatican has to say about relationships or sex? Do you hire a plumber to fix your roof?
How do you think that AIDS is spread? By abstaining? Of course not. If we give the people condoms, were are telling them it’s ok to have sex with anything and everything. This causes uninfected people to have sex with infected people. Studies have shown that condoms are not 100% effective against preventing AIDS and other STD infections. These people are already having sex with anything and everything and that’s why they are getting infected. By abstaining from sex until you meet the right person and then remaining monogamous with that person, will keep you from getting AIDS; unless your partner has AIDS already.
He’s right — condoms aren’t the solution. We can educate all we want but different cultural mores mean a lot of men will never wear them in Africa. They do offer some protection — and that’s better than none — for the people who WILL wear them. For those who won’t — different solutions will have to be found.
This reminds me of Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who actually said condoms are OK for a rape victim to ask her rapist to please use. Idiots of the world, unite!
Ok, you are right, condoms are not 100% effective, but damn near close. Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent AIDS. However, it’s simply not realistic. People are having sex, so let’s educate them about how they can protect themselves. The CDC came out in the mid 80’s and said they could virtually stop the spread of AIDS and reduce the amounts of unwanted pregnancies in the US if they could go into the schools and teach about condom use starting around the fourth grade. Imagine the lives that could have been saved had this happened. In addition, recent studies have shown that abstinence programs DO NOT WORK. When these people start having sex they are much more likely to NOT use a condom if they uphold the program at all. There had been a marked decline in new cases in those African countries that taught about condoms and their proper use. When Bush got into office, he restricted US Dollars to only abstinence programs. Surprise! The infection rate went up! Idiots of the world, unite!
Whole problem is that Ratzinger & Co. define “the problem” as anyone having sex without their permission or, rather, in any way that doesn’t increase the membership of the roman catholic church (lower case intentional).
It’s OK though. He’s just taking his organization one more mile down the one-way road of IRRELEVANCE.
OK, let’s see…
A sperm is visible under a light microscope, a virus is not – it takes an electron microscope. Condoms are what percent effective against pregnancy? 97% (Non-spermicide lubricated) How many sperm are necessary to get a woman pregnant? Depends on the acidity of her secretions and blood and the membrane on the ovum.Only one is allowed through but hundreds are necessary to break up the membrane to get one through. So, the 97%… no sperm are getting through or just “not enough”? Guess – right – not enough! So if the big guys are getting through, how many little guys are?
Solution – sex education and a change in societal mores. How long did it take South Africa to admit that sex was a way to transmit the virus? Why? Because that culture believed that it was a man’s inalienable right to do any woman he wanted just about whenever he wanted. For sex ed? Admit that condom usage is SAFER sex (not “safe” sex). Then encourage the use of condoms whenever people have sex – not encourage sex just because you feel like it.
BTW – the pope is relevant to those who agree with him. Just like Harvey is a hero to those who agree with him.