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Reaction to AIDS comments surprises Vatican

    JOHANNESBURG

    A Vatican cardinal has expressed shock at the worldwide reaction to his contention that condoms did not adequately protect against the transmission of HIV/AIDS, the Associated Press agency has reported.

    The reaction follows recent reports that members of the Roman Catholic clergy were advising people worldwide that condoms were permeable enough to allow HIV to pass through.

    Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo's claim, which was made during an interview with the BBC in September, was strongly contested by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    WHO spokeswoman, Fadela Chaib, said any claim that condoms did not protect against HIV transmission was "totally wrong," and added, "It is quite dangerous to claim the contrary when you realise that today we are facing an epidemic which has already killed 20 million people, and 42 million people are infected."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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