In book excerpts published in the Vatican newspaper on Saturday night, the pope stated that using condoms to stop the spread of Aids could be justified in certain cases – in particular among prostitutes.
The U.N. AIDS agency welcomed the pope’s comments but cautioned they were only a first step toward making the use of condoms acceptable among Catholics.
“This is a significant and positive step forward taken by the Vatican,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé in a statement released on Sunday.
However, there are no reliable statistics about how many infections might be prevented if male prostitutes routinely used condoms
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A UNAIDS spokesman in Geneva said that while over 80 percent of HIV infections are caused through sexual transmission, only 4 percent to 10 percent result from sex between men.
While the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on artificial contraception was not in question, Benedict’s stunning remarks could re-ignite debate on contraceptive use in places like the Philippines, where the issue has recently pitted the new president against the influential Catholic Church.
While the pope added that condoms – even in the case of gay HIV+ prostitutes – are not a moral solution, Catholic activists worry that he has put the church's long-standing opposition to condom use – and contraception – in peril.
In October, the Catholic church of Lucerne made news with an Aids prevention campaign that included the distribution of condoms.
The Holly Father drew loud protests last year when he said that Africa's HIV epidemic could not be resolved with condoms.
“On the contrary, it increases the problem,” he said.
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