London, England, Oct 9, 2003 / 22:00 pm
Condoms are flawed and there is no guarantee that they will prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus. That is what Alfonso Cardinal Lopez Trujillo told the BBC Panorama program called “Sex and the Holy City”, which will air Sunday, Oct. 12.
On the program, the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, argues that if condoms cannot be guaranteed to block sperm, they cannot be guaranteed to block the AIDS virus, which is much smaller.
"The AIDS virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon," he told the BBC. "The spermatozoon can easily pass through the 'net' that is formed by the condom."
He added that just as health authorities warn about the dangers of tobacco, they also have a responsibility to warn about condoms.
The BBC program and the World Health Organisation reject the Trujillo’s view. Although the WHO agrees that condoms could break or be damaged, it says condoms still reduce the risk of infection by 90 percent and, if not torn or damaged, are secure enough to prevent the transmission of AIDS.
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