Focus on safe sex and not unsafe bet

THE concerns raised by Dr Thomas Vinit and Bishop Cesare Bonivento of Vanimo in their recent letters to the editor are genuine and should be seriously considered by the National AIDS Council and their scientific advisers.
I do not understand why NAC, a body that was mandated by the Government, is carelessly promoting a lethal tool.
Where is the science behind the whole exercise of promoting condoms?
Has anyone noticed the irony that condom promotion has been going on for some time but the number of people contracting HIV/AIDS seems to be increasing at an alarming rate?
Condoms were promoted during pre-HIV/AIDS days as a prophylactic primarily to control unwanted pregnancy and other non-viral sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, etc.
However, the same cannot be said about the HIV virus, as correctly pointed out by Dr Vinit.
It is, therefore, imperative that the NAC immediately and responsibly inform the public that the use of condom involves some level of risk that the user has to bet on.
The reality is that the HIV virus is now endemic in the country and a person using a condom only places an unsafe bet on his or her life as the word “safe” in “safe sex” associated with condoms no longer qualifies.
Time is of the utmost importance and the onus is on the NAC either to promote scientifically correct information to the people or be prepared to bear the responsibility for indirectly spreading HIV/AIDS through the promotion of an unsafe prophylactic.
What needs to be corrected is the misinformation that condom equals safe sex.
The message is clear – safe sex is having sex with one partner ONLY or no sex (abstinence).
These days, condoms should only be promoted for birth control.
The wisdom of the likes of Bishop Bonivento and genuine advice from experts such as Dr Vinit is what the NAC needs to appreciate.

To Hahnstone
Dei, WHP