j----_. - New York Civil Liberties Union

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Appendix C
Information on Condoms
Abstinence from sexual activity is the only sure protection
against HIV transmission. The Surgeon General
of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control,
and State and local health departments have included
condom use as one of the strategies for further preventing
the spread of HIV. The Board of Regents view the
use of condoms as extremely high risk behavior. The
view that condoms should or can be used as a way to
reduce the risk of transmission of AIDS should not be
supported. The known failure rates for condoms
present an unacceptable risk. Individuals, knowing the
risk and persisting in the use of condoms, should be
strongly cautioned about the risks of condom failure.
Information about condoms is being released regulcrly
by scientists, researchers, and clinicians. Such information
is published in various professional publications,
presented at professional conferences, and
discussed and reported by the general media. Files
should be kept current. As all of this information becomes
available, several conflicting issues arise from
the data related to: effectiveness in preventing transmission
of HIV, wide discrepancies in reported failure
rates, and product safety (quality and type of material,
defective manufacture, proper storage, stress level).
Before drawing inferences from any of the data, it
may be helpful to consider the following:
(I Some studies report laboratory data that is carried
out strictly under controlled conditions. The
results of studies conducted under less controlled
conditions
may be different and hard to compare.
• Condom failure rates are reported in studies relative
to family planning, sexually transmitted dis"
eases, and AIDS. Motivation for use and proper
use may vary depending on the purpose of useto
prevent getting a potentially fatal infection
rather than to prevent a pregnancy.
" Studies relating to condom use for protecting
against HIVare relatively new. In the rush to release
information, validity and reliability of studies
may be lacking.
'" Whether comparisons can be made about effectiveness
in all settings, under all conditions, and
for all purposes has yet to be determined regarding
condom use in prevention of HIV.
e Authors at times fail to differentiate between the
issues of whether poor technique in using condoms
contributed to the fact that the condom
failed or whether the condom itself failed due to
rips, tears, holes, etc. Readers, at times, draw their
own conclusions.
" There are far more studies in the literature on condom
use related to family planning and sexually
transmitted diseases, and these studies serve as
the basis for determining ranges of condom failure.
Whether they can be compared against HIV
has yet to be determined.
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