Catholic condom ban helping AIDS spread in Latin America - UN
The rapid spread in Latin America of the virus that causes AIDs is made worse by the Roman Catholic Church's stand against using condoms, a U.N. official said on Monday.
Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007, 20:15 (BST)
TEGUCIGALPA - The rapid spread in Latin America of the virus that causes AIDs is made worse by the Roman Catholic Church's stand against using condoms, a U.N. official said on Monday.
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.
The Catholic Church, which holds sway in Latin America despite the rise in evangelical churches, opposes all forms of contraception and instead promotes abstinence as a way to avoid spreading AIDS.
"The fact young people start to be sexually active between 15 and 19 without sex education contributes to the spreading of the virus, as well as the fact that the evidence shows abstinence is not working," Stella told Reuters.
Latin America is home to nearly half the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, but the Church's position on premarital sex and contraception often clashes with modern values. Brazil, the region's largest Catholic nation, regularly distributes free condoms to try and bring down HIV infection rates.
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Added: Thursday, October 25, 2007, 1:03 (BST)
AIDS victims in 1987: Philippines 135 / Thailand 112
Thailand promoted the use of condoms in massive campaigns Philippines promoted 'Abstinence' and 'Be faithful'.
AIDS victims in 1999: Philippines 1,005 / Thailand 755,000
Source: British Medical Journal, volume 328, April 10th 2004
Tari, St Louis USA
Added: Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 12:31 (BST)
Why does the Catholic Church automatically get the blame in this and other similar issues? UN officials seem to be ignorant of the fact that in many African and Latin cultures condom use is rejected because it is at odds with cultural views of manhood, not because of Church teachings. Would an individual who rejects Church teaching on chastity actually care about being in accord with the Church on the use of condoms?
GeriP, NYC, USA
