Pope endorses condom use only to prevent HIV

In a book of interviews conducted with Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Catholic Church approves the use of condoms during sex to prevent epidemics of sexually transmitted disease, the New York Times reports.

The book, titled Light of the World, collects a series of interviews conducted by a German journalist with the current pope. In them, he concedes that protected sex may be admissible as a way to prevent the spread of AIDS, if for no other reason. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends condom use and abstinence as ways to prevent HIV infection.

As an example of the benefits of condoms, Benedict cites their use by male prostitutes, which, he qualifies, is merely a first step toward the “humanization of sexuality,” but a step nonetheless, the media outlet says.

It adds that AIDS epidemic in Africa may have prompted the pope’s statement.

HIV transmission is an ongoing problem in the U.S., with more than 56,000 individuals contracting the disease each year, according to the latest data from the CDC. Individuals concerned about the state of their sexual health may consider looking into online testing services.

The CDC estimates that HIV has killed nearly 600,000 Americans to date.