How effective are Condoms against HIV?

[Oblaidon]

I am researching this for my knowledge. I am married and monogamous.

I heard on a Catholic radio station HIV is so small it can slip through the poors in a condom.

I have not found any medical research on the internet that confirms this.

Here is what I have found

The above makes more sense to me.

Does anyone know of any research that confirms what I heard on the Catholic radio station?

 

[Oblaidon]

I meant this to go under secular news.

BTW I don’t condone the above method to prevent AIDS. I agree that abstinance is the best way to prevent AIDS.

 

[manualman]

The virus size compared to latex pore size is a red herring. The virus can’t move unless suspended in a liquid medium and the condom is demonstrably waterproof.

A more effective argument against condoms as “safe sex” in the presence of HIV is the known effectiveness rate of condoms for pregnancy prevention. IIRC the pregnancy effectiveness is somewhere around 96% (used correctly, which is not a given!).
Since pregnancy can only happen at most 7/28 days a month, random love making ought to be about 25% effective at preventing pregnancy.

Thus, the condom REALLY appears to fail about 16% of those 25% of days on which pregnancy would result. (0.16 * 0.25 = 0.04 pregnancy rate with condoms). Unlike pregnancy, HIV transmission can occur ANY day. So an adjusted failure rate for condom HIV protection is about 16%.

Thus, on average, it would appear that a woman could expect to be infected or at least exposed to the HIV virus at least once in 7 times in which she engaged in “safe sex” with an infected man.

Only SLIGHTLY better than Russian roulette with a six shooter.

 

[Oblaidon]

If used correctly, why wouldn’t the condom be %100 effective. If the sperm stays in the condom, and the condom is water proof how does the female get pregnant. We will assume, if she can get pregnant she can get HIV.

 

[Oblaidon]

I researched it and found the reason the experts claim condoms are not %100 effective is because they can slide off or break. (or a defect in the condom)

 

[Mimi]

It took me a while to find this, but I knew I had it bookmarked:

Condom facts sheet:

hli.org/condom_facts_sheet_failure.html

Also, they are often stored for long periods of time in hot semi trucks. High temperatures damage the latex. Just check a package and read the warning. Age also has a damaging effect.

Be informed; promote abstinence. I wish someone had drummed it into my head. But in the '70’s, there were not the resources we have today.

Peace,
Mimi