World Health Organization challenges Philippine bishops' advice against using condoms
20 July 2010
Source: Source: BusinessWorld (Philippines) Author: AFP with Ana Mae G. Roa
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has defied the Catholic Church by criticizing its bishops' opposition to the use of condoms as a means of preventing the spread of HIV-AIDS.
Assortment of condoms
© 2006 David Alexander/CCP, Courtesy of Photoshare
Refuting bishop's claims
Although the WHO statement did not mention the Church by name, it directly contradicted bishops' recent claims that condoms are too porous and do not work in preventing the spread of infection.
Dr. Massimo Ghidinelli, WHO's regional adviser on HIV-AIDS, said the WHO statement was "intended to clarify some of these regularly returning questions and doubts about the effectiveness of condoms."
He said these doubts and questions were raised as part of a "wave of criticism and opposition to condoms," apparently referring to the Church's anti-condom campaign.
Objections from church to condom distribution
Catholic bishops, whose Church claims over 80% of Filipinos as followers, have been attacking the government openly after Health officials distributed free condoms to mark Valentine's Day."Given its high failure rate, the condom cannot really put a stop to AIDS. Moreover, by creating a false sense of security, it... contributes to the further spread of AIDS," the bishops said.
Concern at Church statement
Mr. Ghidinelli told AFP that claims made in the bishops' statement were "not correct and the message given to the public is not based on available evidence."
The WHO statement also warned that HIV-AIDS was a "growing concern" in the Philippines, with the number of newly reported infections increasing from one every three days in 2000 to two infections per day in 2009.
Support from the Philippine Commission on Women
Meanwhile, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) has expressed its support for the Department of Health's distribution of condoms to prevent HIV-AIDS.
PCW said in a statement yesterday that the measure is a response to the Magna Carta of Women on Women's Right to Health which states that the government shall ensure access to services to prevent and manage reproductive tract infections, including sexually-transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS.