Pope's statement on condoms to reduce HIV has potential to save tens of thousands of lives, says GAA

Global AIDS AllianceNov 23 2010

The Pope's statement that the use of condoms are justified "in the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection" is a startling and welcome shift by the Vatican that has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives, says Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA).

"The Pope has created the possibility of rapid change in the way the Catholic Church views HIV/AIDS and how it can preserve the sanctity of human life," says Dr. Zeitz, adding that GAA stands firmly for sexual and reproductive rights. "The Pope has provided a glimmer of hope that we actually can begin the process of ending the AIDS epidemic rather than believe it is enough to maintain the sick and dying. It never will be."

The Pope's statement is particularly important ahead of the release of the U.N. Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic and the annual marking of the pandemic on World AIDS Day next week. There currently are 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, which has claimed the lives of 25 million people overall, with more than 7,000 new infections each day.

Reducing infections is impossible without significant advances in prevention, for which condom use is among the most important, Dr. Zeitz emphasizes. Unfortunately, the Pope focuses on the use of condoms by male prostitutes, and he sadly rejects the idea that condoms are a "real or moral solution." But he does underline that reducing infection is a "more humane way" of living sexually "in this or that case."

The Pope also did not address the critical issue of discordant couples, where only one person is HIV-positive and thus risks infecting a partner when a condom is not used. But his statement is a surprising departure, even as the church now says it is not a revolutionary shift. Last year, Pope Benedict XI nonsensically posited that condom use "increases the problem" because he inaccurately said it leads to risky behavior. And his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, insisted that sexual abstinence, not condoms, is the best way to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS.

But the Pope's statement – made in a book-long interview – provides an opening for Catholics involved in HIV/AIDS services, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where vast numbers of people rely heavily on the Church's services. Catholic aid organizations account for a quarter of AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV/AIDS also has ravaged African farms, where the number of workers has plummeted, leading to fallow crops, poverty and famine. The earth's sustainability therefore also is strongly tied to HIV/AIDS prevention, which includes the use of condoms.

"This is the critical new voice in our effort to ensure zero new HIV infections," Dr. Zeitz underlines. "The Pope can help amplify the 'prevention revolution' on which GAA is working in concert with UNAIDS."