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The risk of getting HIV through sex can be reduced if people don't have sex, if they reduce the number of sex partners, if uninfected partners have sex only with each other, or if people have safer sex – sex without penetration or while using a condom. Correct and consistent use of condoms can save lives by preventing the spread of HIV.

HIV/AIDS and Condoms

WHO and UNAIDS released the following INFORMATION NOTE

Effectiveness of Condoms in Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections Including HIV Geneva, 16 August 2001 - Prevention is the first line of defense against HIV/AIDS and condoms have long been a mainstay of HIV prevention programs. Recently, however, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of condoms as a means to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. An extensive review of all available studies was conducted by a panel convened by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in June 2000 in the United States, with the participation of WHO. The review concluded that condoms, when used correctly and consistently, are effective for preventing HIV infection in women and men and gonorrhoea in men.

The key findings of the report reviewing the evidence are the following:

The consistent use of male latex condoms significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection in men and women and of gonorrhoea in men.

Laboratory studies have established the impermeability of male latex condoms to infectious agents contained in genital secretions, including the smallest viruses.

Male condoms may be less effective in protecting against those STIs that are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, since the infected areas may not be covered by the condom.

The report concluded that additional research was needed to fill the gaps in currently available evidence.

The report underscores the effectiveness of condoms against HIV and nothing in it challenges WHO and the UNAIDS Secretariat's conviction about the importance of condoms in HIV prevention programmes. On the contrary, unclear presentation of the report's conclusions by some commentators may distract from the vital effort to reduce risk of HIV infection through the use of condoms. It is imperative to continue promoting condoms for HIV prevention while undertaking further studies on their effectiveness for prevention of other STIs. As more studies are conducted to fill the gaps in knowledge identified in this report, WHO and the UNAIDS Secretariat will continue to monitor and assess the new information and will keep countries informed of the importance of any new findings.

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