Safe sex on World AIDS day

5.02.00pm GMT Wed 1st Dec 2004

The European Parliament adopted a resolution to mark World AIDS day on 1 December 2004. This year's World AIDS day theme was "Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS" and the stress of the resolution is on safe sex practices and empowering women.

The resolution specifically directs criticism at the "prejudiced views in some sectors as regards the use of condoms" which have hampered efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, and calls on the EU to combat misinformation about their effectiveness.

Baroness Sarah Ludford, London Liberal Democrat MEP commented:

"The European Parliament is right to focus on the distinct problems of women facing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Assistance to give a source of income and independence to women should be a key European priority."

"Many women, especially but not only those who are poor or forced to work as prostitutes, do not feel able to insist on condom use. Increasingly, women are being infected by their husbands."

"It is high time influential people like representatives of the Catholic Church stopped telling lies denying the role of condoms in preventing the transmission of HIV. Such misinformation could literally sound the death-knell for human beings."

Sarah added:

"The EU could help sponsor innovative schemes to encourage condom usage. The new Indian law making it mandatory for a free condom to be handed out with every bottle of alcohol sold ought to give inspiration….."