The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has issued a strong statement in support of the continued public distribution of condoms to control HIV transmission. In the press release, dated 4 February 2005, Rev. Dr. Molefe Tsele, the General Secretary of SACC, “expressed shock and dismay at continuing assertions that condoms "don't work" as a means of preventing the spread of HIV.”
"All credible scientific studies conclude that the virus that causes AIDS cannot pass through a latex condom. When used properly, condoms are effective in halting transmission of the virus," Dr. Tsele said.
Even though there are “continuing disagreements” among the Council's 26 member denominations about “the moral implications of condoms,” as far back as 2001 the SACC adopted a resolution that churches should "encourage the use of measures necessary to prevent infection" in addition to promoting sexual abstinence and faithfulness in marriage. The General Secretary’s statement makes it clear that condoms are one of those necessary measures.
The General Secretary also attacked as "theologically wrong" the "demonisation" of condoms and the attempt to portray condom use as a "morally inferior" option for preventing HIV infection.
US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) discouraging condom distribution
Dr. Tsele blamed President Bush’s PEPFAR for sowing doubt about condom distribution.
PEPFAR, President Bush's US$15 billion anti-AIDS plan, is legally obliged to commit at least one third of its resources to programmes that stress "abstinence-until-marriage" as the primary prescription for halting the spread of HIV.
Dr. Tsele worries that even though PEPFAR does not rule out condom distribution, “it urges that promotion of condoms be limited to groups that engage in ‘risky behaviour’ — mainly sex workers and couples where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not.”
Even though the South African government remains committed to the distribution of condoms, SAAC has received reports that many organisations have curtailed or eliminated condom distribution schemes from their public health programmes in order to increase their chances of attracting PEPFAR funding.
US officials often justify PEPFAR’s policy by citing Uganda’s “ABC” HIV prevention programme, which has been accredited for a significant reduction in that country’s HIV prevalence. ABC stands for Abstinence, Be Faithful and Condoms.
But Dr. Tsele criticised an interpretation of Uganda’s experience that attributes decreasing HIV prevalence rates to abstinence and fidelity whilst downplaying the role of condoms.
"Abstinence and faithfulness are powerful and vital messages, especially for religious bodies to be communicating,” he said.
But there is a danger of creating “the false impression that sex within marriage is not 'risky' unless the couple know that one partner is infected. In fact, women are particularly vulnerable to infection, often by husbands whom they incorrectly presume to be faithful,” warned Dr. Tsele.
“Condoms clearly remain an essential component of any public initiative to halt HIV transmission," Dr. Tsele concluded.