The latest african AIDS conspiracy....

[Che Guava]

...and it's a doozy....

Shock at archbishop condom claim

The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has told the BBC he believes some European-made condoms are infected with HIV deliberately.

Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people".

The Catholic Church formally opposes any use of condoms, advising fidelity within marriage or sexual abstinence.

Aids activists have been angered by the remarks, one calling them "nonsense".

"We've been using condoms for years now, and we still find them safe," prominent Mozambican Aids activist Marcella Mahanjane told the BBC.

The UN says anti-retrovirals (ARVs) have proved very effective for treating people with Aids. The drugs are not a cure, but attack the virus on several fronts at once.

The BBC's Jose Tembe in the capital, Maputo, says it is estimated that 16.2% of Mozambique's 19m inhabitants are HIV positive.

About 500 people are infected every day.

'Serious matter'

Archbishop Chimoio told our reporter that abstention, not condoms, was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.

"Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries.

"They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."

Aids activists in the country have been shocked by the archbishop's comments.

"Condoms are one of the best ways of getting protection against catching Aids," said Gabe Judas, who runs Tchivirika (Hard Work) - an theatre group that promotes HIV/Aids awareness.

"People must use condoms as it's a safe way of having sex without catching Aids," he told the BBC.

Archbishop Chimoio, who made the remarks at celebrations to mark 43 years of independence, said that fighting the disease was a serious matter.

"If we are joking with this sickness we will be finished as soon as possible.

"If we want to change the situation to face HIV/Aids it's necessary to have a new mentality, if we don't change mentality we'll be finished quickly," he said.

"It means marriage, people being faithful to their wives... (and) young people must be abstaining from sexual relations."

Our correspondent says the archbishop is well respected in the country and the Catholic Church played a leading role in sponsoring the 1992 peace deal that ended a 16-year civil war.

Some 17.5% of Mozambicans are Catholic.

link

Ugh, more crackpot theories on HIV means more distraction and misdirection on AIDS, which will lead to more people being infected with HIV, which will lead to MORE crackpot theories...

 

[A1CBOZ]

That guy is a moron. A perfect example of why some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.

"Hey! YOU! Out of the gene pool!"

 

[Che Guava]

Luckily, he's a Catholic Archbishop, so no problem there...

 

[skadistic]

Ah man hes on to us!!

 

[A1CBOZ]

Luckily, he's a Catholic Archbishop, so no problem there...

Right... they just go after the underage boys....

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, he is right that abstinence is more effective, at the individual level, for avoiding HIV than condoms. Of course, everyhting else he said is nonsence.

 

[Elta]

Ah man hes on to us!!

Dude were never putting you in charge of secret genocide again, you always do something like this jerk

 

[MobBoss]

Well, there goes the used condom export biz....

 

[Che Guava]

Well, there goes the used condom export biz....

That is 2X as hilarious because the original story had this picture posted with it:



Wash 'em off, dry 'em up, ship 'em to africa to give them all AIDS...

Oooooh, that shouldn't be funny...

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I blame the Jews.

This is just another string in a series of stupidities by prominent African religious/political leaders and figureheads. As much as I would like to see Africa improve, and help out doing so, you have to wonder if it makes any sense to try when they are so unwilling to help them help themselves.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, it is probably easy for us to fail to realize how horrible this is. It is human nature to look for any explanation, and combined with perfectly understandable (if not correct) ignorance, I am not surprised statements like this get made. That doesn't mean they don't want to help themselves.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Well, it is probably easy for us to fail to realize how horrible this is. It is human nature to look for any explanation, and combined with perfectly understandable (if not correct) ignorance, I am not surprised statements like this get made. That doesn't mean they don't want to help themselves.

Well, it's certainly a two way street. We can help out, but we need them to walk it to.

 

[Elta]

Well, it's certainly a two way street. We we need them to walk it to.

I've had about enough of that myself
http://music.aol.com/video/walk-it-out/unk/1737877

 

[Masquerouge]

Africans are so screwed.

 

[warpus]

Well, he is right that abstinence is more effective, at the individual level, for avoiding HIV than condoms. Of course, everyhting else he said is nonsence.

Abstinence isn't really that effective - we're hard-wired to want to have sex.

But yeah, that's a bit off-topic. I'm not really surprised that this is happening.. maybe I've seen too much of it already? *shrug*

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Abstinence isn't really that effective - we're hard-wired to want to have sex.

Yes, but if we overcame those hard-wired urges, we are no longer at risk.

When I said "abstinence", I didn't mean "convincing other people not to have sex" but "not having sex". People always seem to confuse the two - hence the debate on abstinence-based sex education. Abstinence itself is the best way to avoid STDs and pregnancy, if you are the one doing it. But to protect someone else from them, when you don't control their actions but can only try convincing them, a multi-tiered approach is best. So explain why abstinence is the best bet, and at the same time make condoms available.

 

[warpus]

Yeah.. but.. not eating is the best way to avoid food poisoning.. it doesn't mean that it's an effective solution.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, "not having sex" won't kill you. It's just not a very popular choice.

 

[Godwynn]

zomg It's Teh Amerikkkan Capitali$ts Fault To Keep The Black Man Down For Wage Slavery!

 

[warpus]

Well, "not having sex" won't kill you. It's just not a very popular choice.

Which is precisely why it will never be an effective way to prevent AIDS...

We're hard-wired to have sex.. it feels good.. it's good for the immune system.. it's good for our psychological health.. it's just great overall!