Christians and counseling those with STDs

[agricola]

The biggest issue I've read of in the Amish communities is a very high rate of birth defects and retardation, due to a seriously high rate of inmarriage amounting to near-incest, due to the closed nature of the communities and the relatively small number of original founding families.

[KLP]

Yes I understand the Amish is an extreme comparison. My point was that Divorce rates seem to able to be effected by the particular society and community, it seems to be able to be controlled if there is a motivation or at least to have some component of "nurture" instead of just "nature".

[AtPeace]

chrisso said:

Given condoms have around a 99% effectiveness rate - you have next to no chance of getting an STD in normal circumstances.

Not exactly the correct effective rate when you take into account improper usage, which is a HUGE issue. (Although even the most well-intentioned and well-informed condom usage exposes vulnerable anatomy sections to secretions.) The breakage/slippage factor must be taken into account as well.

As the mother of someone who arrived compliments of a broken condom (best error ever made), I counseled my kids before and after their marriages that *one* form of birth control is *never* enough if you truly do not want an STD or a baby. And I've passed that advice along to numerous people through the years. Almost every time, I can see the lightbulb go on over their head....they simply never considered the possibility that one form is not enough if you're serious about avoiding problems or unplanned pregnancies.

Yes, condoms are better than nothing. But I believe people should be told to use something else as well if they're serious about their health.

[Ivy]

It's simple math. If condoms are 99% effective (the 1 percent accounts for breakage and other malfunctions) and a disease has a 1% transmission rate per session of intercourse the chances of getting that disease during protected sex is .01%. That's 1 in 10000 or roughly the odds of you being killed in a car crash this year in the US. Clearly it happens but not something to lay awake worrying about every day.

Now take in the fact you probably wouldn't be having sex with someone who you KNOW has an STD. So there you have to factor in that only 1 in 3 people has an STD so your odds go to 1 in 30000. That's about the odds of dying in a car wreck sometime in the next 17 weeks.

That seems extremely optimistic.......holy crap. Use more than one method of protection and be very, very selective about your choice of partners, people. Just trust me.

[B.H.]

Hell, I use a condom even when I screw my hand. No telling where that nasty [derogatory term] hand has been or with who.

[faithfyl]

I've always heard condoms were 98, 99% effective, but conservative Christians will tell you otherwise. They will tell you that condoms have a very high failure rate. In fact, they will tell you that the failure rate is so high that you shouldn't bother using them - you should just abstain.

[cathym]

The final straw for me with the NI church I attended for a few years was when the preacher claimed, during Sunday night class, that condoms are "useless to prevent AIDS" -- which is not and has never been true. But the elders were more upset by me calling him on it than by him spreading lies. (The preacher who was there when I started attending that congregation was much saner, which is the main reason I stayed for as long as I did...but he hooked up with his HS sweetheart on FB and left his family and the church for her.)

[KLP]

I keep thinking of Austin Powers:
Vanessa: But did you use protection?
Austin Powers: Of course. I had my 9mm automatic.
Vanessa: You know I meant did you use a condom?
Austin Powers: Ha ha ha. Only sailors use condoms, baby.
Vanessa: Not in the nineties, Austin.
Austin Powers: Well, they should, those filthy beggars. They go from port to port.

[faithfyl]

The final straw for me with the NI church I attended for a few years was when the preacher claimed, during Sunday night class, that condoms are "useless to prevent AIDS" -- which is not and has never been true.

Its a huge problem when they spread misinformation like that.

People should listen to their doctor and not their preacher.

[B.H.]

I've always heard condoms were 98, 99% effective, but conservative Christians will tell you otherwise. They will tell you that condoms have a very high failure rate. In fact, they will tell you that the failure rate is so high that you shouldn't bother using them - you should just abstain.

Those poor Christians need to get some ear condoms so the stuff that blows out of the preacher's mouth won't knock up their minds with bull.