Editing Condom (section)

=== Religious ===
{{See also|Christian views on birth control|Catholic teachings on sexual morality#Contraception}}
The [[United Church of Christ]] (UCC), a [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] denomination of the [[Congregationalist]] tradition, promotes the distribution of condoms in churches and faith-based educational settings.<ref name="CNA2009"/> 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."<ref name="CNA2009">{{cite web |title=United Church of Christ committee recommends condom distribution at churches |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/15505/united-church-of-christ-committee-recommends-condom-distribution-at-churches |agency=[[Catholic News Agency]] |access-date=17 March 2020 |date=26 March 2009 |archive-date=17 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317184408/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/united_church_of_christ_committee_recommends_condom_distribution_at_churches |url-status=live }}</ref>

On the other hand, the [[Roman Catholic Church]] opposes all kinds of sexual acts outside of marriage, as well as any sexual act in which the chance of successful conception has been reduced by [[direct and intentional]] acts (for example, [[Human sterilization|surgery to prevent conception]]) or foreign objects (for example, condoms).<ref>{{cite web |title=Humanæ Vitæ |author=Pope Paul VI |date=25 July 1968 |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html |access-date=23 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303114045/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html |archive-date=3 March 2011 |author-link=Pope Paul VI}}</ref>

The use of condoms to prevent [[Sexually Transmitted Infections|STI]] transmission is not specifically addressed by Catholic doctrine, and is currently a topic of debate among theologians and high-ranking Catholic authorities. A few, such as Belgian Cardinal [[Godfried Danneels]], believe the Catholic Church should actively support condoms used to prevent disease, especially serious diseases such as [[AIDS]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hooper |first1=John |last2=Osborn |first2=Andrew |title=Cardinal backs use of condoms |work=The Guardian |date=13 January 2004 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/13/religion.catholicism |access-date=26 August 2009 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827223205/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/13/religion.catholicism |archive-date=27 August 2013}}</ref> However, the majority view—including all statements from the Vatican—is that condom-promotion programs encourage promiscuity, thereby actually increasing STI transmission.<ref name="catholicafrica">{{cite journal |last=Alsan |first=Marcella |title=The Church & AIDS in Africa: Condoms & the Culture of Life |journal=Commonweal: A Review of Religion, Politics, and Culture |volume=133 |issue=8 |date=April 2006 |url=http://www.aids.net.au/us-catholic-20060421.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821143901/http://www.aids.net.au/us-catholic-20060421.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 August 2006 |access-date=28 November 2006}}</ref><ref name="vatican">{{cite web |last=Trujillo |first=Alfonso Cardinal López |title=Family Values Versus Safe Sex |publisher=Pontifical Council for the Family |date=1 December 2003 |url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_20031201_family-values-safe-sex-trujillo_en.html#Pregnancy | access-date = 18 July 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090728003316/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_20031201_family-values-safe-sex-trujillo_en.html#Pregnancy | archive-date = 28 July 2009}}</ref> This view was most recently reiterated in 2009 by [[Pope Benedict XVI]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Condoms 'not the answer to AIDS': Pope |work=World News Australia |publisher=SBS |date=17 March 2009 |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1012144/Condoms-'not-the-answer-to-AIDS':-Pope | access-date = 26 July 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130618074844/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1012144/Condoms-%27not-the-answer-to-AIDS%27%3A-Pope | archive-date = 18 June 2013}}</ref>

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest organized body of any world [[religion]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Major Branches of Religions |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |publisher=adherents.com |access-date=14 September 2006 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315022054/http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |archive-date=15 March 2015}}</ref> The church has hundreds of programs dedicated to fighting the [[HIV/AIDS in Africa|AIDS epidemic in Africa]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Karanja |first=David |title=Catholics fighting AIDS |journal=Catholic Insight |date=March 2005 |url=http://catholicinsight.com/online/bioethics/AIDSAfrica.shtml |access-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104093716/http://catholicinsight.com/online/bioethics/AIDSAfrica.shtml |archive-date=4 January 2008}}</ref> but its opposition to condom use in these programs has been highly controversial.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barillari |first=Joseph |title=Condoms and the church: a well-intentioned but deadly myth |work=Daily Princetonian |date=21 October 2003 |url=http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2003/10/21/8911/ |access-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418153048/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2003/10/21/8911/ |archive-date=18 April 2009}}</ref>

In a November 2011 interview, Pope Benedict XVI discussed for the first time the use of condoms to prevent STI transmission. He said that the use of a condom can be justified in a few individual cases if the purpose is to reduce the risk of an HIV infection.<ref>{{cite news |author=Jonathan Wynne-Jones |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/the-pope/8148944/The-Pope-drops-Catholic-ban-on-condoms-in-historic-shift.html |title=The Pope drops Catholic ban on condoms in historic shift |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=20 November 2010 |access-date=20 November 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122052824/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/the-pope/8148944/The-Pope-drops-Catholic-ban-on-condoms-in-historic-shift.html |archive-date=22 November 2010}}</ref> He gave as an example male [[prostitutes]]. There was some confusion at first whether the statement applied only to homosexual prostitutes and thus not to heterosexual intercourse at all. However, [[Federico Lombardi]], spokesman for the Vatican, clarified that it applied to heterosexual and transsexual prostitutes, whether male or female, as well.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/world/europe/24pope.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |first1=Rachel |last1=Donadio |first2=Laurie |last2=Goodstein |title=Vatican Confirms Shift on Condoms as AIDS Prevention |date=23 November 2010 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221084914/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/world/europe/24pope.html | archive-date=21 February 2017}}</ref> He did, however, also clarify that the Vatican's principles on sexuality and contraception had not been changed.