Recent Multinational Survey Shows Catholics Favor Condoms

Has the opinion of the Catholic Church become outdated? It's likely it has as in a recent survey most Catholics in five large countries support condoms, and consider using them to be prolife. Despite this opinion, many in the survey feel the church will not change their stance. The survey was conducted by Belden Russonello & Stewart and included four continents. Responses in countries such as Ghana, Ireland, Mexico, the Phillipines, and the United States. This information was provided in a recent press release from Catholics For Choice.

Many of those surveyed responded they felt that condoms were prolife because it prevents the spread of AIDS. 90 percent of the survey participants in Mexico responded that way, while so did 86% in Ireland. The percentages in the U.S. and the Phillipines were in the 70's with the U.S. percent being 79 percent and the Phillipine percentage of 77%. More than half the survey respondents in Ghana felt the same way with 59% feeling condoms were prolife.

The survey also asked if "Catholic hospitals and clinics that the government funds should be required to include condoms as parts of AIDS prevention". The overwhelming response once again was yes. The most positive response was from Ireland and Mexico in which 87 percent of Irish and 86 percent of Mexican survey participants responded "yes". The U.S. had just under 3/4 of their survey participants responding positively at 73 percent. The percentages in the Phillipines (65%) and Ghanna (60%) were both a significant majority saying "yes".

Despite these responses, the survey participants were not confident enough to demand change from the Catholic Church on its stance throughout the world. When asked if "the church's position on condoms is wrong and should be changed", only the survey respondents from three countries favored it as a whole. These were Ireland (79%), the United States (63%), and Mexico (60%). In the Phillipines (45%) and Ghana (37%) the response was less decisive.