Fr. James Keenan, an American Jesuit theologian, told a media forum sponsored by the AIDS Society of the Philippines that it is morally acceptable for sexual partners to use condoms if it is only to prevent HIV transmission.

Keenan, who teaches moral theology at Ateneo de Manila University's Loyola School of Theology and has edited a soon-to-be-released book, "Catholic Ethics on HIV/AIDS Prevention," told the forum that the principles of double effect and lesser evil support the use of condoms to prevent HIV transmission. "Condoms for HIV are the same condoms for contraception. Here we can see the principle of double effect," he said, adding that the same principle is used to justify civilian deaths when bombing military targets. "If a husband violates his marital vows and sleeps with other women he must make sure that he does not transmit the virus to his wife, else he would be violating the principle of justice. This is where the principle of lesser evil comes in," he explained. "If a husband is violating his marital vows, he might as well keep his wife from getting the virus when they engage in sexual intercourse through the use of condoms."

Keenan said he was arguing for condom use not to convince the Catholic
Church to relax its strict rule against the use of prophylactics but to
contribute to a healthy dialogue on the subject.

The South African Bishops Conference issued a statement last month outlining the narrowest of exceptions on condom use to aid the country in combatting its AIDS epidemic. The SACBC said married couples could use condoms if one or both partners are infected and if they abstained from sex when the woman was ovulating.
 

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