Dilemma - Government, Faith Community - Daggers Drawn on Sex Education and Condom Use

At a time when government is mobilizing resources and appealing for concerted efforts aimed at finding effective alternatives to scale down the escalation of HIV and AIDS, there still remains the religions and faith beliefs that need to be ironed out in the promotion of condom use and sex education.

Despite overwhelming evidence in favour of it, the faith community still regard the practice of using condoms as protection against HIV/AIDS as a taboo and have said the condoms have pinprick size holes that let the virus through.


Despite the stand of the faithful the evidence in favour of sex education and condom use is too strong to permit religious taboo to prevent their use, particularly where HIV/AIDS, STI's and unwanted pregnancies are prevalent

National AIDS Commission (NAC) complained that their efforts in promoting condoms as a shield to help contain the spread of the disease are not bearing the much needed results because of a stand taken by some religious organisations that are in the forefront condemning condom use.

"Yes it is true that the use of condoms has received resistance from the faith community. We have had discussions with them (faith community) and indicated to them that we are not saying that condoms are 100% perfect," commented NAC Chairman Nicholas Chitimba. He pointed out that even the users are clearly told that condoms are not of maximum protection "but better use them than nothing."

"What we are saying is that among the weapons we have against HIV/AIDS, STIs and unwanted pregnancies, a condom is one of them and even if we are saying that condoms are 80% effective, better use them than nothing," Chitimba emphasised. " Yes there is perceived resistance from the faith groups based on religious beliefs but all in all, we are doing everything to make them understand and soften their stance."

However, Chitimba explained that it is interesting that though faith leaders do not come in the open to say condoms are effective in minimising the spread of HIV/AIDS and other related problems, they still admit that a lot of people fail to live up to expected standards when it comes to abstinence.

"Surprisingly they have admitted that indeed there are certain people who do not behave the way they should behave in terms of abstinence and if those individuals are in that sort of position, who are the faith groups to insist that they should not use condoms," he queried.

He said the option of using a condom is a human right issue and people should be left to make an individual decision to use or not to use a condom.

Chitimba advised those who failed to abstain from sex to make sure that they use some protection against HIV infection

"These religious groups will not let you use the condoms, they do not come in the open but if you are in a dangerous situation, always use a condom. It is an individual decision to use a condom or not."

Referring to the perceptions that condoms are promoting bad behaviour in terms of sex especially among the youth Chitimba challenged those who have the research evidence to expose it. "No let them show me research paper that shows that this is the case," he says bluntly.

"My own stand is that I would not deny people access to condoms. If indeed there are other means available on the market where people can protect themselves from getting infected with the virus, then I would encourage people to explore all those options," says Executive Director of Malawi Network of Religious Leaders living or personally infected by HIV/AIDS (MANERELA) Reverend Father MacDonald Sembereka. "And without encouraging and compromising one's faith, I would encourage them to use the best option that we have so far which is basically a condom."

He explained that if the role of faith community is to preserve human life and if there is enough data that condoms are also measures for protecting people's lives, people should explore it.

"Basically the role of faith community is to preserve human life which emanates from the fact that life is sanctity and as such we have to protect it.

"If condoms are at all measures for protecting life and there is enough data to substantiate the fact that it is not to the contrary as the faith community puts it, then I would not have any problem," he said.

Father Sembereka said he is very aware that what is preached to the faithful every Sunday will make people abstain from casual sex "and it would be foolish to indulge in unprotected sex which on most occasions leads to HIV/AIDS, STIs and unwanted pregnancies and on the over-all, untimely death."

"I would not have problems if people use condoms as long as they use them within the defined context. Of course I know pretty well there are people we preach to but very often they still go out and have sex. They will be foolish if they do it without protecting themselves," emphasised Father Sembereka.

He said he does not subscribe to ideologies that condoms promote promiscuity.

"No, for a long time people have been promiscuous not that the advent of condoms has escalated the levels of promiscuity. I don't think there is a research to that effect. We are aware of incidences where people have condoms right in their pockets and they do not use them when having sex and we are mindful of the fact that within the faith community, we are talking of people who have the virus. Do we encourage them to abstain, can we encourage married couples to abstain, can we encourage people who are staying together to abstain, what are the option that we give them?" Father Sembereka wondered.

With regard to condom use and sex education, maintaining an open dialogue and exploring arguments objectively rather than through heated debates may help everyone to review the evidence and consider their stand and come up with a compromise that will benefit people in all walks of life.

Surely the aim of everyone is to see a reduction in teenage and unwanted pregnancies and reduced infection of HIV/AIDS and STIs within the nation.