Christianity Catholicism The Catholic Church opposes condom use between heterosexual couples because it is an artificial form of contraception that does not rely on the functions of the body (and thus also God's will) to determine whether a conception will occur or not, and the Church believes it also serves to implicitly and inexcusably encourage premarital and extramarital sexuality (and recourse to abortion if the condom fails). Pope John Paul II strongly opposed the use of artificial birth control, and rejected the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2005 that condoms were not a sufficient solution to the<unk>  crisis, and then in 2009 claimed that<unk>  "cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems." The Moscow Patriarchate gave support to Benedict XVI's position. In response to Benedict XVI's statements, the United Church of Christ issued a statement encouraging condom distribution at places of worship. On November 20, 2010, when questioned about the rampant HIV spread in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI suggested that the use of condoms in male prostitution is not a moral solution to stopping<unk> , but could represent a first step in assuming moral responsibility "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection." Vatican City clarifies, after Benedict's statement sows confusion, that the position of the Church on condoms has not changed. It is merely a statement that in homosexual relations, where unnatural contraception is not the main concern, condoms can be seen as moral responsibility in preventing HIV infections. On November 23, 2010, Benedict furthermore stated that the concept of condoms as a lesser evil in preventing HIV infections can be applied to women as well. The use of condoms is the first step in taking responsibility and attempting to prevent the infection of one's partner. The Pope does not say anything about condoms being acceptable as unnatural birth control, only as a responsible approach. Lutheranism The United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India runs voluntary blood testing camps and counselling centers to diagnose and aid individuals that could have HIV/AIDS. These initiatives are aimed at helping individuals who speak an array of languages and have no access to public health centres. The Church has translated Grace, Care and Justice, a handbook published by the Lutheran World Federation, into Hindi, the official language of India, we as the regional languages Tamil and Telugu, to disseminate information regarding the "prevention, transmission and care provision" of HIV/AIDS. Teams from Lutheran World Relief provide healthcare to people afflicted with HIV/AIDs in Nairobi. Multiple months of drugs are provided to patients during their visits to Lutheran World Relief clinics. Reformed The United Church of Christ (UCC), a Reformed denomination of the Congregationalist tradition, promotes the distribution of condoms in churches and faith-based educational settings. Michael Shuenemeyer, a UCC minister, has stated that “The practice of safer sex is a matter of life and death. People of faith make condoms available because we have chosen life so that we and our children may live.” Buddhism In Thailand, some Buddhist monks encourage the use of condoms for HIV prevention. As part of Mechai Viravaidya's pro-condom campaign, Buddhist monks have offered blessed condoms for couples.
Religion and HIV/AIDS
Catholic Church and HIV/AIDS
Circumcision and HIV
Sex and drugs
Alcohol and sex
Intimate partner violence and U.S. military populations
Types of rape
EP Europace