30 Jan '08 13:42>1 edit
Originally posted by PalynkaI come from Zambia where the Catholic Church is by far the largest denomination - and the HIV infection rate is very high (and higher than in South Africa). I doubt that the statistics you give are very accurate - for a start their calculation method as far as I can tell ignores the factor of children. Since children make up more than half the population the calculation could be off by more than 100%.(of the stated figure).
I've often seen the percentage of Christians being wrongly used to defend the position that the RCC's position about condoms is a key factor.
This are the stats, according to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_by_country#Africa
Southern Africa is the most HIV/AIDS affected region in the world and why I mentioned those two countr the idea that the Pope plays any significant role is simply throwing sand in people's eyes.
In the Zambian media, the Catholic Church and its messages about condoms is fairly prominent and almost certainly has some impact on condom usage. It is a known and indisputable fact that condom use has proven to be the most successful preventative measure for preventing AIDS in Africa.
Although I agree with you that the reasons behind the spread of AIDS do not lies solely with the Catholic Church and its message, the reasons behind the failure to use condoms to prevent or at least reduce that spread is significant.
Keep in mind that the percentage of Catholics in the country is really irrelevant for the discussion, because the real issue is whether and to what extent, the use of condoms as a prevention is promoted in the media. In Zambia, and probably in other countries in Southern Africa, the Catholic Church is a significant influencer of the media and has had a significant impact on the presentation of the condom as a preventative measure. I am talking from experience, not Wikipedia. I have lost a large number of friends and acquaintances to AIDS, and have seen the Catholic propaganda on TV and in newspapers.