Physician Consortium press release:

New government report shows that condoms do not protect against most STDs

Condoms, long the mainstay of the “safe-sex” public health model, do not protect against the spread of nearly all sexually transmitted diseases. This is the major finding of a benchmark report released on Friday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

During the past year, a panel comprised of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and non-governmental consultants studied all the available clinical and peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of condoms to prevent the spread of STDs.

The eight STDs examined by the panel included HIV/AIDS, chancroid, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis and chlamydia. Of the eight, the panel found that the correct and consistent use of condoms reduced the risk of HIV by 85 percent and could reduce the risk of gonorrhea, but only among men. Yet, numerous research studies indicate that the vast majority of sexually active people, especially teenagers, are either unable or unwilling to correctly and consistently use condoms. On all other STDs the panel found no clinical evidence that condoms were effective.

“We are shocked at the findings,” said Dr. Hal Wallis, a spokesman for the Physicians Consortium, a group of more than 2,000 doctors who advocate for sound public health policy. According to Wallis, “The clinical evidence is now clear ﾖ condoms do not offer ‘safe sex.’ The entire public health model developed by the CDC, and based on the idea that condoms offer protection, is a lie. The skeleton is now out of the closet.” Wallis, an OB/GYN from Texas, said that his practice is increasingly devoted to women who are infected with HPV, many of whom have developed cervical cancer. HPV is the cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer and is also linked to oral, anal and prostrate cancer. But, according to Wallis, “The CDC has placed all of its eggs in the AIDS basket, which is rightfully a major health threat, but has done so at the expense of all other STDs.” Nearly 5,000 women die from the disease per year. Cervical cancer has claimed the lives of more women in the U.S. than has AIDS.

The study did not find proof that condoms protect against the three most prevalent STDs, chlamydia, genital herpes and HPV. “These three STDs infect 9 million people per year,” said Dr. John Diggs, another spokesman for the physicians group. “There are more than 60 million Americans suffering from these three diseases and the CDC won’t even tell them the truth about condoms,” added Diggs.

The Physicians Consortium is concerned that the public health service might not be willing to set the record straight. “Condom packaging and most educational materials and web sites promoting ‘safe sex’ continue to make the claim that condoms are 200 percent effective against HIV/AIDS and other STDs. This is now clear that all of this material must be revised to reflect the facts,” said Wallis.

Concluded Diggs, “The safe-sex message is a billion dollar business. There are many federal agencies and contractors that face financial hardship if they start acknowledging the truth. It will be interesting to see if money will outweigh the chance to be honest.”The Physicians Consortium represents more than 2,000 medical doctors and healthcare professionals dedicated to bringing evidence-based science into public health policy.