Pope Benedict XVI in all his Douchebagness
Just in case there was ever any doubt, Pope Benedict XVI is the single most out-of-touch person in the world. And when you consider the other religious leaders and politicians that he is in competition with for that title, this is no small feat. Congrats!
He secured the title during his trip to Africa this week. In case you missed it in the news, here is a link to one of the articles covering it. Here’s my summary of what went down: The current Pope made his first trip to Africa and proved that he is completely out of touch with reality. He said that condoms are not the way to stop the spread of HIV, they actually contribute to it.
Seriously. The use of condoms actually increases the risk of HIV?! What a jackass. Someone who is this completely out of touch with reality cannot possibly understand the damage that is done by saying condoms make the problem worse. He clearly is blinded by his own antiquated dogma.
Obviously, yes, with abstinence there is less risk. If you aren’t having any sex then you probably are not ever going to come in contact with HIV. But, that’s not the reality. People have sex. A lot of it. Not only is it unrealistic to expect magnetic couples (one person HIV+, one person HIV-) to abstain from sex, it is also unrealistic to expect single people to not have sex. All religious mumbo-jumbo aside, people are going to have sex. Period. So why would anyone actually take a stance that essentially guarantees the continued spreading of HIV? Who would do such a thing? A true douchebag.
If you doubt that condoms are a good means of having safer sex, then you only need to educate yourself. Do your research. My preferred HIV/AIDS resource is at www.thebody.com. A specific entry on condom use and efficiency can be found by clicking on this link. The article may be a little old, but it is still relevant. There are countless other resources that can be found by searching the web or going to your library. If it is your own personal religious beliefs that prevent you from accepting the use of condoms, then I say to you, please leave that for your own relationship. Don’t ever suggest to someone else that they should not use condoms or that their only option is to abstain from sex.
In conclusion, please do yourself and everyone around you a favor by not propagating the myth that condoms contribute to the spread of HIV. And most importantly, please do not listen to the Pope. He clearly supports creating an environment where people must hide their sexuality and live under a blanket of guilt and shame. Coming from one you grew up in such an environment, I can say that guilt, shame, and self-loathing are some of the biggest threats to safer sexual practices.
