Condoms not the answer, ACDP Commends Catholic Church

Thursday, 2 August 2001

Cheryllyn Dudley MP - ACDP


Cheryllyn Dudley MP and Health spokesperson for the African Christian
Democratic Party, commended the Catholic Church for their stand against
the distribution of condoms to young people as the answer in the fight
against HIV/Aids.

She said, "the Catholic Church have been at the forefront of the fight
against HIV/Aids and their stand for family values and position refuting
the effectiveness of prophylactics in the prevention of HIV/Aids has
been courageous. It is not only true, but glaringly obvious that the
war against HIV/Aids will only be won by a dramatic change in sexual
behaviour which must start with a dramatic change of heart and mind."

Mrs Dudley said that promoting condoms as the answer to the HIV/Aids
epidemic is a blatant misrepresentation, which has obscured the facts.
Statistics reveal that there are, almost 15 failures per 100 sexual acts
"protected" by condoms and yet we are expected to believe that the HIV
virus, 450 times smaller than sperm, can be magically blocked by a
condom. Researchers confirm that the publicity given to the condom
in the fight against HIV/Aids has an effect contrary to what is desired,
in that it leads to riskier sexual behaviour because of a false sense of
safety.

She said, "The only real prevention of Aids, and the most radical is
sexual abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in marriage. If the
fight against poverty and HIV/Aids is an urgent national priority,
government must have the courage to admit its errors, stop spending our
money on smoke screens and put in place policies which promote life and
not death in Africa."


_____


For more information please call Cheryllyn Dudley MP at 0828906520 or
ACDP Media Liaison Liza Lambert at 0824781037