AIDS, Condoms, and the Pope: Science and the Truth

The man with the red hat has followers all over the world -- in Italy, America, and even in Africa. He runs a huge operation whose power depends on having lots of members who give lots of money.

On 17 March 2009, the pope flew down to Cameroon, in Africa, to see some of his faithful supporters. On board his plane, he spoke with a number of journalists. The matter of AIDS came up, and Benedict described this as: "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems". (Riazat Butt, Pope claims condoms could make African Aids crisis worse, Guardian, 17 March 2009)

AIDS is a disease which afflicts about 33 million people, and results in the death of about 2 million each year. (Global HIV/AIDS estimates, end of 2007, http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm) While 2 million is a lot, its still less than the number of lives claimed by the highly profitable Jewish tobacco business.

About 22 million AIDS cases are located in sub-Saharan Africa, (Global HIV/AIDS estimates, end of 2007, http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm) the place the pope was going to visit.

"It is important to understand that AIDS is a virus that damages the immune system, and you cannot die from AIDS, People who die with AIDS are killed by the infections that are not stopped by the immune system. AIDS can even turn the common cold into a life and death situation." (All About AIDS, Immune Syste, http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01335/en/txt/immunesystem.html)

This is an infection, that, when you get it, makes it difficult for you to stop further infections. Which reminds us immediately of the tobacco business. Once you get started, its very difficult to quit. To avoid lung cancer, the method is pretty simple -- stay away from tobacco smoke, whether you hold the cigarette or someone else does.

Surprise! With AIDS, the same great principle applies: stay away from sex with infected people. This sounds so simple, but so effective. And the pope knew it. While he asks, at least in public, his priests and nuns to leave off sex, he likes it when Catholic church members have lots of sex, because that makes lots of babies. Off to the baptistry, and in a few years the offering base of the church expands.

Obviously, the children grow up better if they have parents around, so the pope says, avoid promiscuity. Stick with one partner, and build up the church.

At the same time as people follow the very practical business advice of the pope, they also follow standard precautions for avoiding infectious diseases.

But what would the pharmaceutical industry do? How could they sell their expensive AIDS drugs if no one got sick?

A lot of money is on the line in a situation with lots and lots of sick addicts. We've learned who's behind other cancer businesses like bras, cigarettes, and cosmetics. Maybe the players are the same?

"Rebecca Hodes, of the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa, said the Pope's "opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans". " (Pope's condom stance sparks row, BBC, 18 March 2009)

The pope has outlined a solution to the AIDS problem which applies the standard precautions so commonly employed in other disease situations. But Ms. Hodes (pictured second from right at the Cape Town launch of "The Jews in South Africa", together with fellow Jews Michal and Tony Leon, and Jeremy Boraine) doesn't like that approach. Sure it would be 100% effective, but for some reason she likes the condom approach.

So, how safe are condoms?

“The proper use of condoms during intercourse usually prevents infection.” (Chlamydia infections in women, MedlinePlus, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000660.htm) (emphasis added)

Condoms “usually” work?

“Among people who use condoms consistently and correctly, pregnancy rates are fairly low—about 3 pregnancies per 100 women in the first year of use.” (How Effective Are Condoms?, Population Reports, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/h9/h9chap4.shtml) And that’s for people who use them all the time, and correctly.

What about the rest of users? “The estimated typical pregnancy rate among condom users in the US is about 14 per 100 women.” (id.)

And that’s safe?

“Since the 1970s studies of typical use have demonstrated that condoms provide some protection against gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. For example, consistent condom use probably reduces the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection by about 60% to 80%.” (id.)

The FDA requires that condoms be tested for water leakage. The standard is that less than 1 out of 400 tested can leak water. (Condoms, AVERT.org) And if you got a leaking condom? Tough luck.

These super-safe, sex protective devices burst only about 2 percent of the time. (id.) As one authoritative reference puts it: “Male condoms and female condoms provide some protection.” (Medical Encyclopedia Info on Chlamydia, http://www.medicineonline.com/reference/Society/Advice/Personal_Pages/info/Chlamydia.htm)(emphasis added)

Consequently, if you take Ms. Hodes advice, you get protection that "usually" works. If the condom doesn't burst, or leak.

Even the American CDC agrees with the pope:

"The most reliable ways to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are to abstain from sexual activity or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner." (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Condoms and STDs: Fact Sheet for Public Health Personnel)

So why would Ms. Hodes be pushing condoms when they regularly fail?

Probably for the same reason her fellow Jews push tobacco, Madoff-style investment schemes, and bras.

The progress of the disease starts when you let the infection in once. After that, infections will come again and again, as the body is less and less able to defend itself.

Sometimes people like the pope speak a word of sense and warning, but those microbes keep trying to get in. And this will continue until standard medical precautions are implemented to stop the spread of these dangerous diseases.

We defer to one of the leading experts in the field of medical science, Prince Meshchersky. In the time of Tsar Alexander III, when between April 1881 and June 1883, "a million Jews had fled the country taking with them some twenty-two million pounds", the prince stated:

"When the microbes have to be destroyed, we do not pause to inquire how many microbes like the process." (A.N. Wilson, Tolstoy, W.W. Norton & Company, 1988, pp 359, 360)