Bebelicious - 28 September 2007 10:45 AM

So let’s say these condoms ARE infected with HIV.  In order for the virus to continue to live and infect someone, wouldn’t that person have to use the condom within like a couple of hours after the contamination? 

If I remember correctly, HIV doesn’t live long after it leaves a warm body.

That’s what I was about to post. Yes, while body fluids that contain HIV should be avoided at all costs, the virus does need a biologically active environment to live. It’s actually extremely easy to kill after it leaves the human body. (Well, presumably it’s just as easy to kill in the human body but you wouldn’t live through the procedure, so…)

Let me add that currently there are zero confirmed cases of HIV having been transmitted through an inanimate object alone.

I am an ex associate - 27 September 2007 01:31 AM

Sounds similar to the hell fire thing, this guy is trying to scare people into behaving.  He probably doesnot believe HIV is in the condoms, he just want people to behave.  And this is not the way to do it

You may possibly be misrepresenting the guy’s motives here.  Possibly.  It’s a fairly common idea in Africa that AIDS is caused by things like going to a hospital or being tended by doctors (a person who appears perfectly healthy goes to the doctor’s office, the doctor does mysterious things to the person including taking blood and poking and prodding at them, then the person is told that he has a horrible disease and a while later starts to sicken; it’s perfectly logical in their way of thinking to assume that the doctor put some sort curse on the patient).  And it tends to be doctors and health workers who are handing out the condoms.

Even the upper class and the educated people there often have all sorts of weird ideas about disease.  So this Archbishop may actually believe what he’s saying, and honestly think that he’s trying to save his people from getting sick.  The fact that it fits in so well with Catholic teaching would only make it even more favourable.