Young people all around the world, both Catholic and non-Catholic, are facing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  The Vatican's ban on condoms is a both a social justice issue and a matter of consequence for anyone at risk of HIV/AIDS, regardless of religion, sex and ethnicity. Using condoms saves lives—and using a condom to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS promotes the culture of life that the Vatican calls for.

In an effort to raise public awareness about the devastating effect of the bishops' ban on condoms, Catholics for Choice launched the Condoms4Life Campaign on World AIDS Day 2001. This unprecedented worldwide public education effort which began with giant billboards and ads in subways and newspapers saying, "Banning Condoms Kills" soon evolved into a multipronged creative, grassroots and educational strategy to

• encourage a sound, ethical and compassionate policy on the prevention of HIV/AIDS from the Vatican.
• emphasize positive progress in the church.
• urge Catholics, especially young people, to use condoms as part of a mature, responsible sexuality.

Condoms4Life has been active in the Americas, the Philippines, Africa and Europe, and it has educated policy makers all over to the fact that many of the 4,000 plus bishops lobby governments and the United Nations to restrict access to condoms claiming that condoms cause AIDS, not prevent it.

To learn more about the campaign and to get involved, please visit www.condoms4life.org.

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