Does Politics Trump Science In Washington?
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(NAPS)—Many scientists
believe that science-based public
health programs are under
attack in our nation's capital.
First, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
censored public health information
on condoms on its Web site,
then the President appointed
abstinence-only advocates with
little or no background in HIV
prevention to his Advisory Council
on HIV/AIDS (PACHA).
Recently, conservative members
of Congress questioned the
National Institutes of Health's
funding of scientists who received
grants to study HIV/AIDS, sexuality,
and risk-taking behaviors.
While activists battle to stop politics
from encroaching on science-based
programs, few Americans are
aware of how these attacks will
affect their lives. In his recent budget
proposal, President Bush proposes
to double funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs—programs that censor information
about the health benefits of condoms
for sexually active youth seeking to
protect themselves from pregnancy
and disease.
This promise comes despite the
fact that there is no scientific
proof that abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs are effective,
while an abundance of peer-reviewed
research exists citing the
effectiveness of programs that
combine strong messages of abstinence
with information on contraception.
In fact, a recent study of
Minnesota ENABL program, an
abstinence-only initiative reaching
45,000 students, found that
rates of teen sexual activity actually
increased.
In another example, a recent
report from the NIH stated that
correct and consistent use of male
latex condoms is "highly effective"
in preventing HIV transmission.
Despite scientific consensus about
condom effectiveness and decades
of effective public health practice at
the CDC, federal health officials
have moved away from emphasizing
that—for people who are sexually
active—condoms are the surest
way to help prevent the transmission
of HIV and other STDs.
In addition, an innovative program
designed to promote healthy
dialogue between parents and
youth about sex has been placed on
indefinite hold by the Department
of Health and Human Services
(HHS). Statements by agency
spokespersons claimed that the
parent-child communication curriculum
was held up because the
manuals and videos included children
using the correct terms for
parts of male and female anatomy.
For more information, visit
www.advocatesforyouth.org.
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