Dr. Pat Robertson warns people not to travel to Africa because even the "towels could have AIDS." (UPI Photo/Debbie Hill) | License Photo

NEW YORK, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Pat Robertson gave claimed that people can contract HIV by sharing towels, leading CNN's Anderson Cooper to slam him for the homophobic assertion.

The conservative Christian media personality was taking questions from viewers on The 700 Club when one person mentioned they were scared to travel to Kenya because they felt in danger of contracting Ebola.


Robertson reassured the person not to worry about Ebola, but to be aware of the real danger of AIDS.

"You might get AIDS in Kenya, people have AIDS, you've got to be careful," said Robertson. "I mean, the towels could have AIDS."

HIV, the virus that develops into AIDS, cannot be contracted through the sharing of utensils, bedding, toilet seats or, indeed, towels.

CNN's Anderson Cooper took the opportunity during his Ridiculist segment on his show AC360 to tear apart Robertson's argument.

"Why panic about things like Ebola outbreaks when the bath mat is trying to give you chlamydia and your food is trying to kill you?" said Cooper.

Robertson has said people should not eat or drink dairy products or water overseas.

Cooper also referred to an interview where Robertson said people shouldn't travel to San Francisco because the gay population -- rampant with HIV -- uses rings with finger pricks on them to give people "the stuff."