> condoms have holes so microscopic that you cant see them with the naked eye. an HIV virus is about 100 times smaller than the average hole in a condom.

That isn't true.

> While the virus is much smaller than sperm, it is bigger than an electron, air or water molecule. All condoms are tested electronically for holes and batches are tested using a water leak test or the air burst test.

> Not all condoms are created equal. Latex condoms manufactured by Japanese companies for the US market have to meet quality standards for both countries. Before it is packaged, each and every condom is fitted on an underwater, metal rod and zapped with a weak electrical charge. If the electrical charge passes through a hole or weak spot in the condom, it is thrown away. Batches of condoms are randomly selected and filled with a sort of viral soup to test for leaks. If one condom fails the leakage test, the whole lot is discarded. Better quality condoms are generally packaged in foil, giving them a longer shelf life.

> While Japanese condoms are the highest quality, any condom sold in the US will work fine and will not have holes. Condom failure is almost exclusively due to human error, such as using oil-based lubricants, using old, expired condoms, leaving them in the sun or a hot place (such as your pocket), or tearing them with your fingernails and teeth as you struggle to get them out of the package.

http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=ask-01-08-03

> The WHO has condemned the Vatican's views, saying: "These incorrect statements about condoms and HIV are dangerous when we are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people, and currently affects at least 42 million."

> The organisation says "consistent and correct" condom use reduces the risk of HIV infection by 90%. There may be breakage or slippage of condoms - but not, the WHO says, holes through which the virus can pass .

> Scientific research by a group including the US National Institutes of Health and the WHO found "intact condoms... are essentially impermeable to particles the size of STD pathogens including the smallest sexually transmitted virus... condoms provide a highly effective barrier to transmission of particles of similar size to those of the smallest STD viruses".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,7369,1059068,00.html#article_continue

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940506.html