Condoms and contraception

One of my biggest bugbears on the Church : contraception.

Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who heads the Vatican office for health care, was quoted over the weekend in La Repubblica daily as saying his office was preparing a document on the question of condoms and AIDS, and that it would be released soon.

But on Tuesday, he clarified that his office was merely studying the issue at the request of Pope Benedict XVI as part of a broader "dialogue" with other Vatican departments.

"We are conducting a very profound scientific, technical and moral study" on how to deal with married couples when one is infected with HIV, he told Vatican Radio.

Yes. OK. fine. Then what about the singles? Don't even talk about being faithless. Look at teh Philippines.... which is one of most publically recognised RC countries in the world. And look at their population level. And look at the condition of their country. Yes, I believe their population and it's growth levels has a lot to do with the economic conditions in their country.

And I haven't even ripped into the entire AIDS issue and the relatively safety a condomn provides.

Case in point : Singaporean AIDS sufferers used to fill the perception that it was gay men who caught it the most. Not any more. More and more women are getting this terrible affliction and yes, they're catching it from their husbands.


Which brings us back to the point, yes? Condoms are needed.