Condoms

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Are Condoms Effective Against AIDS?

When properly used, condoms create a strong protective barrier to the spread of many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Early in the AIDS epidemic, scientists theorized that condoms would help prevent AIDS because the virus that causes the disease is roughly the size of herpes and other viruses which are unable to penetrate latex; further, neither air nor water can pass through condoms even though their molecules are a 1,000 times smaller than such viruses.
In 1985, a rigorous laboratory study demonstrated that AIDS virus could not get through condoms. Throughout the 80's and 90's both clinical and human studies of condom effectiveness have continued to reach the same heartening conclusions. Further, continuing studies of people at high risk for HIV infection who use condoms regularly are confirming these findings. Sexologist and others in the AIDS prevention field are more convinced than ever that condoms have an extremely important role in preventing the spread of AIDS.

Condoms also prevent the transmission of most STDs and several of the opportunistic infections or cofactors of HIV/AIDS. For example, they help stop genital transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes, chancroid, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

(Note: If there are lesions on the labia or scrotum, obviously condoms do not cover those areas and will not stop genital transmission of these STD's in this case.)