A Step Back for Public Health

A friend sent me an article this morning about Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Africa. I hope Francis is aware of this. The pope made a speech about how "condoms increases the problem of AIDS". As an opening statement about public health awareness, that already set the mood for the World Health Organization to react. The director for the HIV/AIDS program acknowledged the church's encouragement for abstinence and heterosexual marriage, but even they had to criticize the pope for making such a statement.

From what I understand, Pope Benedict XVI strongly believes that it would encourage people to engage in riskier sexual behavior. Condoms have been around for a while and since their invention, there hasn't been an epidemic of higher sexual engagements. At least not to the media's knowledge. I would have to agree with the opposing statements that the pope's statement has consequences. Yes it has been a "longstanding Vatican position", but Catholics aren't saints. They are humans, too.

The pope's mission was to speak with other bishops in Africa to encourage other Christians to follow suit with another way to prevent AIDS without condoms. It makes me question what a Catholic heterosexual married couple should do then. Married homosexuals are okay, sex after marriage is okay. What happens if one has the HIV virus but cannot fulfill the rite of matrimony because they don't want to pass it on to their child? What if they acquired the virus from their mother and not from another sexual partner? What would then be appropriate?

Yes the pope's statement did not apply to non-Christians, but wouldn't saying condoms are harmful by word of mouth more likely to spread to the general public? Of course it would, especially if that statement came from a strong religious leader. Everyone is watching. His statement cannot be filtered to only one population. When people learn of this message, they will question the research and education that was meant to spread around the world for a greater cause, both religious and non-religious alike. As a professor from Oxford said, "It represents a major step backwards for global health education; entirely counter-productive."