Condoms close to 100% effective, says EU in Vatican rebuttal

Edwin J. Bernard
Estimated reading time 2 minutes
This article is more than 21 years old.

The Vatican has today come under fire from the European Union’s executive arm, the European Commission, after widespread media coverage, reported here on aidsmap, of their misinformation regarding the lack of efficacy of condoms for preventing HIV transmission.

"Condoms are part of the solution,” Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, said in a statement that accompanied details of several EU-funded research projects which refute claims by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo - the President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family - that condoms were unsafe and should carry health warnings similar to cigarettes. “The condemnation of condoms is part of the problem."

"I rely on statements that are based on sound scientific evidence,” added European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, “and we can demonstrate that condoms are the best way to prevent HIV infection. Over the last 15 years, the Commission has supported about a dozen research initiatives in this field across Europe, as well as in Asia and Africa, the areas most affected by the AIDS pandemic.”

Glossary

efficacy

How well something works (in a research study). See also ‘effectiveness’.

cure

To eliminate a disease or a condition in an individual, or to fully restore health. A cure for HIV infection is one of the ultimate long-term goals of research today. It refers to a strategy or strategies that would eliminate HIV from a person’s body, or permanently control the virus and render it unable to cause disease. A ‘sterilising’ cure would completely eliminate the virus. A ‘functional’ cure would suppress HIV viral load, keeping it below the level of detection without the use of ART. The virus would not be eliminated from the body but would be effectively controlled and prevented from causing any illness. 

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Although HIV can be sexually transmitted, the term is most often used to refer to chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes, scabies, trichomonas vaginalis, etc.

The projects, which investigated the use of condoms as a preventive measure against sexually transmitted diseases, concluded that consistent use of latex condoms can effectively reduce the risk of transmission of HIV.

One EU-funded study compared methods for finding holes in condoms. By analysing the water, ion and air permeability of condoms, the project consortium was able to help standards agencies set quality control standards for the production of condoms.

"EU projects focussed on condoms' potential porosity and quality standards, and included surveys of infection transmission in couples and prostitutes," said Busquin. "All the studies concluded that the male condom was an effective way of preventing the transmission of HIV, with an efficacy close to 100% when the condom is used appropriately."

The Commission pointed out that in the absence of a cure for HIV/AIDS, protective measures were vital in the fight against AIDS "and this includes condoms".

Cardinal Trujillo's claims are based on scientific misinformation originally published a decade ago, which have since been refuted (see links below).

Further information on the web

National Association of Catholic Families - 1992 article on 'Condom Failure and Transmission of HIV Infection' from the Catholic Medical Quarterly

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 1995 rebuttal

Planned

Parenthood Federation of America - 2003 rebuttal

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