(Untitled)

[kateorman]

Cardinal Pell continues to insist that condoms increase HIV transmission, describing them as "a significant cause of the problem".

Specifically, he states that:"Condoms give users an exaggerated sense of safety, so that they sometimes engage in 'risk compensation'. In one Ugandan study, gains in condom use seem to have been offset by increases in

Comments

Onya Kate!

[hermaj]

Was discussing this at the PDC t'other day and we agreed we were sad and angry about this particular piece of barrow pushing without real understanding of the situation.

Re: Onya Kate!

[kateorman]

tbh it reminds me of that Bloom County strip where there's a sort of Scopes Monkey Trial about penguin evolution, and the "expert" informs the court that the Earth is shaped like a burrito.

[matthewwolff]

Clearly, Pell has yet to provide any evidence whatsoever that promoting condom use increases HIV transmission. (You can read the above references in their entirety by registering for free. Pell should.)

I would suggest that in Pell's world view, he probably doesn't need any evidence. All that it required is a statement of supposed fact, with adequate gumption (some might call it arrogance) to back it up, and he expects to be taken seriously by his followers. He obviously doesn't feel he is required to do any actual reading on the subject....

[kateorman]

Given his comments on global warming, I'd say Pell is quoting uncritically from non-scientific sources - op eds, forwarded emails, etc. I'd actually respect him and the Pope more if their argument was simply "God says you musn't" rather than a bunch of bullshit (in the H.G. Frankfurt sense of neither knowing nor caring whether what comes out of your mouth is the truth).

Exactly!

[hermaj]

Couldn't agree more.