Church’s position on condom efficacy flawed

Condoms, used correctly and consistently, greatly reduce the risk of infection with HIV — by up to 90 per cent, it has been proven. This barrier method may not be perfect, but its value in fighting the Aids pandemic is evident to all, Catholics included.

In Africa, advocacy campaigns have stressed abstinence and fidelity as the first line of defence and encouraged responsible condom use in relationships. The so-called ‘ABC’ approach has proven itself in parts of Africa in the two decades since the 1990 visit by Pope John Paul II to Tanzania, where he declared condom use a sin in any circumstances.