Abstinence works every time; condoms don’t. And they won’t end AIDS

In response to the March 20 Daily Illini editorial cartoon by Jake Thompson, depicting Pope Benedict preventing condom use on the African AIDS epidemic:

The cartoon implies that condoms are a plausible solution to AIDS in Africa and that the Pope mistakenly thinks it will only fuel the problem.

On the contrary, increased condom use in Zimbabwe and Botswana correlated with an increase in HIV occurrences. But in Uganda, a school sponsored program stressing abstinence led to a decreased rate of AIDS infections.

Search online for the recent Harvard study explaining these differences.

Aggressive insistence on the use of contraception is another example of the United States and the United Nations imposing its ideology on other nations. Condom use has been simply proven ineffective – abstinence has worked.

The Pope isn’t saying something new. The Church has always opposed the use of condoms to stop AIDS. Now, as a compassionate pastor to the many Catholics in Africa, the Pope is offering a real solution to the problem.

Aside from this being a Catholic belief, it is simple logic.

Medical sources agree that condoms are not 100 percent effective, so what happens after prolonged regular use?

This is gambling with life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “It should be noted that condom use cannot provide absolute protection against HIV.

The surest way to avoid transmission of HIV is to abstain from sexual intercourse or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship.” These are the practices that the Pope is promoting also.

It is not only good moral advice, but also good health advice.

Why then should the Pope be so strongly criticized for a stance that has been proven true?

Vince versaci

Senior in LAS