Spread the Pope's Condom Message To Catholic Health Workers

With the release of and subsequent media frenzy surrounding Pope Benedict XVI's published comments on condom use has come a renewed debate about religion, sexuality and public health. And it's not just about "male prostitutes." While the Pope's original declaration referred to the fact that condom use may be a moral act for male prostitutes wishing to prevent against sexually transmitted infections, the Vatican later clarified that -- oh, wait a minute -- women, men and transsexuals also may use condoms to protect themselves against transmission of disease, thank you very much.

Many progressive Catholics and organizations say these statements have opened the door to the potential to have a more realistic conversation about the role condoms play in protecting the health and lives of women, men and young people globally.

But, of course, the conversation has been happening for years between public health experts, advocates and those who use condoms. We already know that condoms are the only sure-fire contraceptive method for women who want to prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. However, Catholics for Choice say that many Catholic health providers working for Catholic aid agencies in developing nations are secretly handing out condoms while fearing for their jobs since condom use is still unacceptable as a tenet of the Church. Catholic groups like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in the United States have stood in the way of ensuring access to condoms, as well as to the funding of other HIV/AIDS prevention strategies that work -- like comprehensive sex education in developing nations -- for too long.

The best way we can "use" the Pope's comments on condoms, in this country, is to put pressure on Catholic health agencies working on the ground in these poor nations to formally integrate condoms into their prevention strategies.

The Catholic Church is one of the largest providers of AIDS relief services in developing nations. Agencies like the U.S. based Catholic Relief Services (CRS), that provide crucial health services but will not promote condom use or distribute condoms, are funded mostly by the U.S. government. Andrew Green on Change.org writes that CRS spent upwards of $170 million on HIV/AIDS related programming in 2009. As Jodi Jacobson writes on RH Reality Check, HIV positive women in primarily Catholic countries who can only access health care from these Catholic agencies, do not have access to the means to protect themselves from pregnancy or re-infection without condoms.

That is entirely unacceptable.

Tell Catholic Relief Services (CRS) that if it's good enough for the Pope, it's good enough for the women, men, and young people around the world who have the right to access the public health proven strategies, like condom use, to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. Pope Benedict's opinion that condoms may be the most moral course of action in certain circumstances shines a new light on the way Catholic aid agencies may approach HIV/AIDS prevention. Join public health advocates in saving lives and tell Catholic Relief Services to start distributing condoms -- because including condoms in any prevention programs is necessary and moral.

GOT A TIP FOR US? Is there a story or campaign in your area that we'd want to know about? E-mail us at womensrightstips@change.org. Please also follow Change.org's Women's Rights page on Facebook and Twitter.