The Condoms4Life Campaign led by the World Youth Day 4 All Coalition is creating a buzz in Madrid, Spain that “Good Catholics Use Condoms.” Over the next five days, the Coalition will be promoting this message among Catholic young people who are at World Youth Day to raise their awareness about the need for condoms in HIV prevention efforts.

Despite the effectiveness of condoms, Pope Benedict has banned the use of condoms and all forms of contraceptives. According to Denise Ryan, a sexual and reproductive health trainer with the Irish Family Planning Association, “everyone should know of the pivotal role that condoms play in preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS.” Many people know this, but some are unable to use condoms for a variety of reasons, including religious and cultural beliefs.

In Ireland, where the Catholic Church has deep roots, public opinions do not correspond with the Vatican’s ban on condoms. 72 percent of all Irish Catholics believe the Catholic Church should support the use of condoms. There are now 6,900 people living with HIV in Ireland. A similar poll commissioned by Catholics for Choice in 2007 revealed that globally Catholics support the use of condoms because they prevent the spread of HIV.

The ban on contraceptives does not only affect Catholics, as non-Catholics who use their institutions, such as schools and health centres, are unable to access such services.

Richael O’Hagan, a member of the International Youth Leadership Council at Advocates for Youth and student at Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States. Georgetown observes the Vatican’s ban on condoms and other forms of contraception. She shared her experience with the members of her Coalition and the media this morning:

The University does not distribute condoms or other forms of contraception at its Student Health Center, nor does it distribute the morning-after pill at its hospital - even for rape victims. When one of my friends went to the Student Health Center with concerns that she was pregnant, they recommended that she go to a clinic several miles away to obtain a birth control prescription because they were not permitted to write a prescription for her themselves. Furthermore, all staff member are prohibited from distributing condoms to students. Students can only distribute condoms in the “free speech” zone of campus.

It’s not like students at Georgetown have no need for condoms. By the time they graduate from college, about 70 percent of people are sexually active. 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women use birth control not approved by the church. The ban on condoms just doesn’t reflect the reality of students’ lives. Yet, this policy is present at many of the other 240 Catholic universities in the United States, putting thousands of students at risk who expect to be cared for by their college in addition to receiving a good education. Those universities who deny their students access to the right to protect themselves from HIV and unintended pregnancy fail to respect their student body as a group of intelligent adults who can make their own decisions.