AEGiS-AP: Brazil's AIDS chief criticizes church: The director of Brazil's anti-AIDS programs attacks the church's attempts to squelch a pro-condom campaign.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Brazil's AIDS chief criticizes church: The director of Brazil's anti-AIDS programs attacks the church's attempts to squelch a pro-condom campaign.

Associated Press - December 10, 2003

BRASILIA - (AP) -- The director of Brazil's anti-AIDS program broke a long-standing silence and attacked the Catholic Church's stance against the use of condoms, calling it a possible "crime against humanity."

Dr. Alexandre Grangeiro said Tuesday the church's attempts to discredit the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the spread of AIDS could not go unchallenged.

"We don't want to stir up controversy, but when the church tries to shut down discussion about condoms and claims to use scientific criteria to show they don't work, we have to clarify the facts," Grangeiro said.

OPEN LETTER

On Friday, Grangeiro's program sent an open letter to the church attacking attempts to squelch a pro-condom campaign.

"The church is wrong to insist that condoms don't protect and could be committing one more crime against humanity," the letter read in part.

Last month, the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro sued to stop distribution of the video It's a Sin Not to Use Them.

Grangeiro said the video, produced by several anti-AIDS groups, was a response to recent attempts by the church to attack the effectiveness of condoms.

CARDINAL'S STATEMENT

Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, president of the Brazilian Bishops Council, said in a statement that the government's concern about AIDS is "commendable."

"However, it doesn't appear that the method it is using is adequate. Scientific research shows that there is a significant percentage of infection, even with the use of condoms," Agnelo said.

Brazil was recognized by UNESCO in 2001 and by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2003 for the effectiveness of its anti-AIDS programs, which are based on nationwide prevention campaigns, free distribution of a "cocktail" of AIDS-fighting drugs to those infected by the HIV virus, and price-cutting agreements with major drug manufacturers such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck.

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