THE SPERM VS. THE AIDS VIRUS

A paper in the February 1992 issue of Applied and Environmental
Microbiology reports that filtration techniques show the HIV-1 virus to be
0.1 micron (4 millionths of an inch) in diameter. It is three times
smaller than the herpes virus, 60 times smaller than the syphilis
spirochete, and 50 to 450 times smaller than sperm. (8)

THE FLAWED CONDOM

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers, using powerful electron
microscopes, have found that new latex, from which
condoms are fabricated, contains "maximum inherent flaw[s]" (that is,
holes) 70 microns in diameter. (9)

These holes are 700 times larger than the HIV-1 virus. There are pores in
latex, and some of the pores are large enough to pass sperm-sized
particles. Carey, et al., observed leakage of HIV-sized particles through
33%+ of the latex condoms tested. In addition, as Gordon points out in his
review, the testing procedures for condoms are less than desirable. United
States condom manufacturers are allowed 0.4% leaky condoms (AQL). Gordon
states, "The fluctuations in sampling permits many batches not meeting AQL
to be sold." In the United
States, 12% of domestic and 21% of imported batches of condoms have failed
to meet the 0.4% AQL. (10)

CONDOMS FAIL TESTING

In a 1988 study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Bruce
Voeller of the Mariposa Foundation in Topanga, California, a non-profit
organization dedicated to preventing the spread of sexually transmitted
diseases, ranked 31 brands of latex condoms according to how well they met
the U.S. and international quality assurance standards designed to ensure
that condoms provide an effective
barrier against human sperm.

"Many of the condoms now on the market would not get FDA approval if they
were required to meet today’s standards," says
Voeller. Although all condoms sold in the U.S.are supposed to pass quality
assurance tests, those marketed before 1976 need not meet the more
stringent requirements necessary to win FDA marketing approval. (11)

Dr. Collart reports that "Gotszche and Hording in their study of in vivo
[real life] condom failure rates concluded ‘Condoms to
prevent HIV transmission do not imply truly safe sex.’ In addition
Steiner, et al., observed newer lots of condoms had actual breakage rates
of 3.5-8.8%, while actual breakage rates for older lots ranged from
9.8-18.6%. In a study conducted by Ahmed, et al., 29%-42% of those who had
used condoms experienced at least one breakage. In a survey conducted by
the University of Manchester, 52% of those who had
obtained condoms from their family planning clinic had one or more either
burst or slip off in the 3 months before the survey. In
studies by Albert, et al., and by Wright, et al., 36% and 38% of their
respondents reported condom failures respectively." (12)

CONDOM + SPERMICIDE

Some have advocated the use of spermicide containing nonoxynol-9 in the
prevention of HIV infection. However, the protective effects of
nonoxynol-9 have not been established in vivo for any of the viral STDs.
Some reports suggest that spermicides (including nonoxynol-9) may be
associated with irritation and ulceration of genital and rectal epithelia,
side-effects that may actually facilitate HIV infection.
In a study with Nairobi prostitutes, a higher rate of new HIV infections
was found among women using nonoxynol-9 than among those not using it.
Additionally, in a study of rhesus monkeys who were exposed to a high dose
of simian immunodeficiency virus following vaginally inserted nonoxynol-9
foam, half the monkeys developed an infection. (13, 14, 15, 16)

CONDOM CLIMATE CONTROL

Condoms are sensitive to heat and cold, yet they are not normally
transported in climate-controlled vehicles. Vesey, in his study
ofcondoms,checked 72,000 trucks and has actual photographs of eggs frying
in the backs of trucks used for condom distribution.

Partly due to Vesey’s study, Burlington County, NJ, banned the
distribution of condoms at the county’s AIDS counselling center, because
they concluded that the risk of liability for condom failures was too
great. (17)

RISKY BUSINESS

The United States Public Health Service states that sexual
relations, even with a condom, with a person who is
HIV-positive is so risky that alternative methods of expressing physical
intimacy should be considered. Additionally, Public Health Services warns
that the rate of HIV transmission in anal intercourse is so high that the
practice should be avoided. (27)

PANACEA OR PLACEBO?

In conclusion, Herbert Ratner, M.D., offers the best summary of all when
he says,

Actually, the major accomplishment of the condom campaign to prevent AIDS
is to impress the promoters, politicians and the public at large that
something is being done; and although well-intentioned, it offers more of
a placebo than a panacea.

Publicizing the condom to the four winds is, for the most part, the
bravura of a puritan who is trying to prove to the world
that he is not a puritan. To concentrate on the mechanical aspects of the
sex act to the exclusion of the emotional and psychological aspects (which
the condom campaign ignores) is the essence of Puritanism. The only
difference between the new and the old is that whereas the traditional
puritans were alleged to believe that sex was something to be isolated and
repressed, neo-puritans accept sex as something to be isolated and
exercised. (28)

Reviewed by Joel McIlhaney, M.D., of the Medical Institute for Sexual
Health



NOTES

1.Weller, Susan C., "A Meta-Analysis of Condom Effectiveness in Reducing
Sexually Transmitted HIV," Social Science and
Medicine, Vol. 36, #12, June 1993, pp. 1635-1644.

2.Smith, Richard W., The Condom: Is It Really Safe Sex? (unpublished,
October 1990) pp. 8-9.

3.Collart, David G., M.D., Condom Failure for Protection From Sexual
Transmission of the HIV: A Review of the Medical
Literature, Feb. 16 1993.

4.Zenilman, Jonathan, et al., "Condom Use to Prevent Incident STDs: The
Validity of Self-Reported Condom Use," Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Jan.-Feb. 1995, pp.15-21;

5.Ravenel S. duBose, M.D., "Comments and Observations," Aug. 5, 1995.

6.Joel McIlhaney, Jr., M.D., "Chlamydia Trachomatis; The Most Common
Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease in the United
States," Medical Institute for Sexual Health Sexual Health Update, Vol. 3,
#3, Fall, 1995.
7.Friedman and Trivelli, "Condom Availability for Youth: A High Risk
Alternative," Pediatrics, 2/97, p. 285.

8.Lytle, C. D., et al., "Filtration Sizes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Type 1 and Surrogate Viruses Used to Test Barrier
Materials," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 58, #2, Feb.
1992.

9."Anomalous Fatigue Behavior in Polysoprene," Rubber Chemistry and
Technology, Vol. 62, #4, Sep.-Oct. 1989.

10.Collart, David G., M.D., loc. cit.

11.Nowak, Rachel, "Research Reveals Condom Conundrums," The Journal of NIH
Research, Vol. 5, Jan. 1993, pp. 32, 33.

12.Collart, David G., M.D., op. cit.

13.Bird, K.D., AIDS, Vol. 5, pp. 791-796, 1991.

14.Voeller, B., AIDS, Vol. 6, pp. 341-342, 1992.

15.Kreiss, J.; Ruminjo, I.; Ngugi, E.; Roberts, P.; Ndinya-Achola, J.; and
Plummer, F., 1989 V International Conference on AIDS,
Montreal.

16.Miller, C.J.; Alexander, N.J.; Sutjipto, S.; et al., J. Med. Primatol,
Vol. 19, pp. 401-409, 1990.

17.Vesey, W.B., HLI Reports, Vol. 9, pp. 1-4, 1991.

18.April, K., and Schreiner, W., Schweiz. med. Wschr., Vol. 120, pp.
972-978, 1990.

19.Frosner, G.G., 1989, Infection, Vol. 17, pp. 1-3.

20.Fischl, M.A.; Dickinson, G.M.; Segsl, A.; Flanagan, S.; and Rodriguez,
M.; Presentation THP. 92, III International Conference
on
AIDS in Washington D.C., 1-5 June, p. 178, 1987.

21.Klimes, I., et al., AIDS Care, Vol. 4, p. 151, 1992.

22.Detels, R.; English, P.; Visscher, B.R.; Jacobson, L.; Kingsley, L.A.;
Chmiel, J.S.; Dudley, J.P.; Eldred, L.J.; and Ginzburg,
H.M.;Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Vol. 2, pp. 77-83,
1989.

23.Gordon, R., loc. cit.

24.Joffe, G.P.; Foxman, B.; Schmidt, A.J.; Farris, K.B.; Carter, R.J.;
Neumann, S.; Tolo, K.-A.; and Walters, A.M.; 1992, Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 19, pp. 272-278.

25.Cohen, D.A.; Dent, C.; MacKinnon, D.; and Hahn, G.; Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 19, pp. 245-251, 1992.

26.Frösner, G.G., loc. cit.

27.Byer, C.O., and Shainberg, L.W., Dimensions of Human Sexuality, Wm. C.
Brown Publishers, 1991.

28.Ratner, Herbert, M.D., "Condoms and AIDS," ALL About Issues, Feb. 1989,
p. 36.

"PaulKing" <aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote:


In Australia, condoms have to meet Australian standards. These are
apparently stricter than the standards of other countries because
imported condoms do not appear to be on sale here.

THE SPERM VS. THE AIDS VIRUS

A paper in the February 1992 issue of Applied and Environmental
Microbiology reports that filtration techniques show the HIV-1 virus to be
0.1 micron (4 millionths of an inch) in diameter. It is three times
smaller than the herpes virus, 60 times smaller than the syphilis
spirochete, and 50 to 450 times smaller than sperm. (8)

THE FLAWED CONDOM

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers, using powerful electron
microscopes, have found that new latex, from which
condoms are fabricated, contains "maximum inherent flaw[s]" (that is,
holes) 70 microns in diameter. (9)

These holes are 700 times larger than the HIV-1 virus. There are pores in
latex, and some of the pores are large enough to pass sperm-sized
particles. Carey, et al., observed leakage of HIV-sized particles through
33%+ of the latex condoms tested. In addition, as Gordon points out in his
review, the testing procedures for condoms are less than desirable. United
States condom manufacturers are allowed 0.4% leaky condoms (AQL). Gordon
states, "The fluctuations in sampling permits many batches not meeting AQL
to be sold." In the United
States, 12% of domestic and 21% of imported batches of condoms have failed
to meet the 0.4% AQL. (10)

CONDOMS FAIL TESTING

In a 1988 study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Bruce
Voeller of the Mariposa Foundation in Topanga, California, a non-profit
organization dedicated to preventing the spread of sexually transmitted
diseases, ranked 31 brands of latex condoms according to how well they met
the U.S. and international quality assurance standards designed to ensure
that condoms provide an effective
barrier against human sperm.

"Many of the condoms now on the market would not get FDA approval if they
were required to meet today’s standards," says
Voeller. Although all condoms sold in the U.S.are supposed to pass quality
assurance tests, those marketed before 1976 need not meet the more
stringent requirements necessary to win FDA marketing approval. (11)

Dr. Collart reports that "Gotszche and Hording in their study of in vivo
[real life] condom failure rates concluded ‘Condoms to
prevent HIV transmission do not imply truly safe sex.’ In addition
Steiner, et al., observed newer lots of condoms had actual breakage rates
of 3.5-8.8%, while actual breakage rates for older lots ranged from
9.8-18.6%. In a study conducted by Ahmed, et al., 29%-42% of those who had
used condoms experienced at least one breakage. In a survey conducted by
the University of Manchester, 52% of those who had
obtained condoms from their family planning clinic had one or more either
burst or slip off in the 3 months before the survey. In
studies by Albert, et al., and by Wright, et al., 36% and 38% of their
respondents reported condom failures respectively." (12)

CONDOM + SPERMICIDE

Some have advocated the use of spermicide containing nonoxynol-9 in the
prevention of HIV infection. However, the protective effects of
nonoxynol-9 have not been established in vivo for any of the viral STDs.
Some reports suggest that spermicides (including nonoxynol-9) may be
associated with irritation and ulceration of genital and rectal epithelia,
side-effects that may actually facilitate HIV infection.
In a study with Nairobi prostitutes, a higher rate of new HIV infections
was found among women using nonoxynol-9 than among those not using it.
Additionally, in a study of rhesus monkeys who were exposed to a high dose
of simian immunodeficiency virus following vaginally inserted nonoxynol-9
foam, half the monkeys developed an infection. (13, 14, 15, 16)

CONDOM CLIMATE CONTROL

Condoms are sensitive to heat and cold, yet they are not normally
transported in climate-controlled vehicles. Vesey, in his study
ofcondoms,checked 72,000 trucks and has actual photographs of eggs frying
in the backs of trucks used for condom distribution.

Partly due to Vesey’s study, Burlington County, NJ, banned the
distribution of condoms at the county’s AIDS counselling center, because
they concluded that the risk of liability for condom failures was too
great. (17)

RISKY BUSINESS

The United States Public Health Service states that sexual
relations, even with a condom, with a person who is
HIV-positive is so risky that alternative methods of expressing physical
intimacy should be considered. Additionally, Public Health Services warns
that the rate of HIV transmission in anal intercourse is so high that the
practice should be avoided. (27)

PANACEA OR PLACEBO?

In conclusion, Herbert Ratner, M.D., offers the best summary of all when
he says,

Actually, the major accomplishment of the condom campaign to prevent AIDS
is to impress the promoters, politicians and the public at large that
something is being done; and although well-intentioned, it offers more of
a placebo than a panacea.

Publicizing the condom to the four winds is, for the most part, the
bravura of a puritan who is trying to prove to the world
that he is not a puritan. To concentrate on the mechanical aspects of the
sex act to the exclusion of the emotional and psychological aspects (which
the condom campaign ignores) is the essence of Puritanism. The only
difference between the new and the old is that whereas the traditional
puritans were alleged to believe that sex was something to be isolated and
repressed, neo-puritans accept sex as something to be isolated and
exercised. (28)

Reviewed by Joel McIlhaney, M.D., of the Medical Institute for Sexual
Health



NOTES

1.Weller, Susan C., "A Meta-Analysis of Condom Effectiveness in Reducing
Sexually Transmitted HIV," Social Science and
Medicine, Vol. 36, #12, June 1993, pp. 1635-1644.

2.Smith, Richard W., The Condom: Is It Really Safe Sex? (unpublished,
October 1990) pp. 8-9.

3.Collart, David G., M.D., Condom Failure for Protection From Sexual
Transmission of the HIV: A Review of the Medical
Literature, Feb. 16 1993.

4.Zenilman, Jonathan, et al., "Condom Use to Prevent Incident STDs: The
Validity of Self-Reported Condom Use," Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Jan.-Feb. 1995, pp.15-21;

5.Ravenel S. duBose, M.D., "Comments and Observations," Aug. 5, 1995.

6.Joel McIlhaney, Jr., M.D., "Chlamydia Trachomatis; The Most Common
Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease in the United
States," Medical Institute for Sexual Health Sexual Health Update, Vol. 3,
#3, Fall, 1995.
7.Friedman and Trivelli, "Condom Availability for Youth: A High Risk
Alternative," Pediatrics, 2/97, p. 285.

8.Lytle, C. D., et al., "Filtration Sizes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Type 1 and Surrogate Viruses Used to Test Barrier
Materials," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 58, #2, Feb.
1992.

9."Anomalous Fatigue Behavior in Polysoprene," Rubber Chemistry and
Technology, Vol. 62, #4, Sep.-Oct. 1989.

10.Collart, David G., M.D., loc. cit.

11.Nowak, Rachel, "Research Reveals Condom Conundrums," The Journal of NIH
Research, Vol. 5, Jan. 1993, pp. 32, 33.

12.Collart, David G., M.D., op. cit.

13.Bird, K.D., AIDS, Vol. 5, pp. 791-796, 1991.

14.Voeller, B., AIDS, Vol. 6, pp. 341-342, 1992.

15.Kreiss, J.; Ruminjo, I.; Ngugi, E.; Roberts, P.; Ndinya-Achola, J.; and
Plummer, F., 1989 V International Conference on AIDS,
Montreal.

16.Miller, C.J.; Alexander, N.J.; Sutjipto, S.; et al., J. Med. Primatol,
Vol. 19, pp. 401-409, 1990.

17.Vesey, W.B., HLI Reports, Vol. 9, pp. 1-4, 1991.

18.April, K., and Schreiner, W., Schweiz. med. Wschr., Vol. 120, pp.
972-978, 1990.

19.Frosner, G.G., 1989, Infection, Vol. 17, pp. 1-3.

20.Fischl, M.A.; Dickinson, G.M.; Segsl, A.; Flanagan, S.; and Rodriguez,
M.; Presentation THP. 92, III International Conference
on
AIDS in Washington D.C., 1-5 June, p. 178, 1987.

21.Klimes, I., et al., AIDS Care, Vol. 4, p. 151, 1992.

22.Detels, R.; English, P.; Visscher, B.R.; Jacobson, L.; Kingsley, L.A.;
Chmiel, J.S.; Dudley, J.P.; Eldred, L.J.; and Ginzburg,
H.M.;Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Vol. 2, pp. 77-83,
1989.

23.Gordon, R., loc. cit.

24.Joffe, G.P.; Foxman, B.; Schmidt, A.J.; Farris, K.B.; Carter, R.J.;
Neumann, S.; Tolo, K.-A.; and Walters, A.M.; 1992, Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 19, pp. 272-278.

25.Cohen, D.A.; Dent, C.; MacKinnon, D.; and Hahn, G.; Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 19, pp. 245-251, 1992.

26.Frösner, G.G., loc. cit.

27.Byer, C.O., and Shainberg, L.W., Dimensions of Human Sexuality, Wm. C.
Brown Publishers, 1991.

28.Ratner, Herbert, M.D., "Condoms and AIDS," ALL About Issues, Feb. 1989,
p. 36.

If AIDS is sexually transmitted how can you explain these figures: -

AIDS CASES IN 2001

http://www.avert.org/eurosum.html

France 1528

Holland (legal prostitution) 45

Sweden (legal prostitution/very sexually liberated) 42

Denmark (as above) 74

These current statistics hardly suggest a link between AIDS and sexual
activity.

"The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the
National Institutes of Health, released the report compiled by the panel
of 28 experts, who analyzed about 138 published studies on the use of
condoms during penile-vaginal intercourse.

"There was a lack of evidence to help us make a definitive conclusion
about the effectiveness of condoms," said panel member Dr. Timothy
Schacker, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota"

On Wed, 05 May 2004 02:06:38 -0400, "PaulKing"
<aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote:

Hey-here is the citation:
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/stds/condomreport.pdf

Wow. Are you ever a lying, disingenuous sack of shit. I know why you
DON'T provide the citation to the reports--cause you cherry pick the
bits that suit your particular delusion. Man, you have the
intellectual honesty and sincerity of George Bush.

George M. Carter

***
other quotes:
Conclusions on STDs Transmitted by Genital Secretions
The published data documenting effectiveness of the male condom were
strongest for HIV. The Panel concluded that, based on a meta-analysis
of published studies "always" users of the male condom significantly
reduced the risk of HIV infection in men and women. These data
provided strong evidence for the effectiveness of condoms in
preventing HIV transmission in both men and women who engage in
vaginal intercourse.

The Panel also concluded that the consistency of findings across four
epidemiological studies of gonorrhea indicated that the latex male
condom could reduce the risk of gonorrhea for men.

The strongest evidence for potential effectiveness of condoms on other
STDs transmitted by genital secretions (i.e. gonorrhea in women,
chlamydial infection and trichomoniasis) was the laboratory-based
studies on the properties of the male latex condom and the strength of
the evidence for condom use reducing the risk of HIV transmission in
men and women and gonorrhea in men. The Panel concluded, however, that
because of limitations in study designs there was insufficient
evidence from the epidemiological studies on these diseases to draw
definite conclusions about the effectiveness of the latex male condom
in reducing the transmission of these diseases.

[NOTE that the above is based on their review of 138 papers. The
review does not state that condoms do not work to reduct the risk of
infection from other STDs (except probably HPV) but rather that the
data they had to review was inadequate to draw a conclusion--EITHER
way. And in comparison to the STRONG efficacy of a condom to prevent
HIV or gonorrhea.]

***
FDA researchers have also developed an assay for condom leakage using
high concentrations of a laboratory virus (78). The laboratory virus
penetration assay is not used routinely as a quality control test, but
its sensitivity and relevance are arguably greater than the
conventional water leakage test. Using this virus assay, FDA
scientists tested many different types of male condoms and showed that
condoms are highly effective barriers to virus passage with a very
small chance of leakage (76, 77). Intact condoms (i.e., pass the water
leak test) are essentially impermeable to particles the size of STD
pathogens (including the smallest sexually transmitted virus,
hepatitis B). Moreover, these studies show that fluid flow, not virus
size, is the most important determinant of viral passage through a
hole. Even holes many times larger than the virus impeded fluid flow
such that few of the test particles passed through (78).

***
Under this risk assessment, failure to use a condom would obviously
result in certain exposure (1.0 probability). Conversely, condom use
without breakage or slippage would reduce (if not eliminate) exposure
dramatically (0.0 probability). However, and perhaps just as
importantly, condom use - even in the event of breakage, leakage, or
slippage - would also result in greatly reduced exposures.
It should be noted that, for many STDs, risk of infection might not be
proportional to exposure to a volume of semen. Estimation of risk
requires further extrapolation because it depends on additional
variables, especially the infectious agent of interest. The
concentration, infectivity, and mode of transmission of the specific
STDs clearly need to be considered (12).

Conclusion
Natural rubber latex condoms for men are manufactured to conform to
limits specified within consensus standards, including water leakage.
Laboratory studies show that manufactured condoms meet these
specifications. Other studies, based on viral penetration assays, have
demonstrated that condoms provide a highly effective barrier to
transmission of particles of similar size to those of the smallest STD
viruses. These data also provide a strong probability of condom
effectiveness when used correctly, where the etiology of STD
transmission is linked to containment of pre-ejaculate and seminal
fluids or barrier coverage of lesions on the penis and there is no
slippage or breakage.

On Wed, 05 May 2004 08:49:50 GMT, GMCarter <fiar@verizon.net> wrote:

I amend myself--what Paul posted was a cherry-picked interpretation
from some article whose origin, authorship, publication date, etc. are
unknown. it is a bit of yellow journalism in any event, I imagine
though all we are provided is a snippet.

Another more complete story with a quote from Schacker probably NOT
taken so out of context:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_r...cfm?DR_ID=6424

But reading the original report is more enlightening and less filled
with the outright lies and misinterpretations offered by Paul. What a
load of Bushit.

George M. Carter

"PaulKing" <aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote in message news:<f084b391094eb0e765152a4abb47f2e6@localhost.t alkabouthealthnetwork.com>...
How many times do you need to be told - AIDS is not sexually transmitted.
R E A D S L O W L Y and you might just get it.