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Pope Says Condoms Make
AIDS Worse

Pope Says Condoms Make
AIDS Worse

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"You can't resolve [AIDS] with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters on Tuesday aboard a plane headed to Africa, a continent ravaged by AIDS. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."

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Pope Benedict XVI has declared that condom use, far from slowing the spread of HIV, actually makes the pandemic worse.

"You can't resolve [AIDS] with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters on Tuesday aboard a plane headed to Africa, a continent ravaged by AIDS. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."

According to TheNew York Times , he had never before addressed condom use. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, often proclaimed abstinence, not condoms, would prevent the spread of AIDS. The Roman Catholic Church rejects the use of condoms based on its teachings forbidding artificial contraception.

The Obama administration has taken steps to refocus energy on the fight against HIV in the United States, but a spokesperson declined to comment on the pope's remarks when reached by The Advocate .

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Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.