Abstinence BS and Bush religious agenda

Abstinence like an ostrich (head in sand)

Our government uses taxpayer funds to push abstinence worldwide. Much of which is being used as a “shot in the arm” for religious organizations. (http://www.siecus.org/policy/egregrious_uses.pdf )

Since Bushco has taken over, the separation of church and state seems to not exist.

"If what you are asking is, has George Bush as president of the United States established priorities in spending for his administration? The answer is yes," said Wade F. Horn, who as assistant secretary for children and families at HHS oversees much of the spending going to conservative groups. "That is a prerogative that presidents have." (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101723_pf.html )

Congress appropriated $50 million in 2006. (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-30-abstinence-message_x.htm )

The American Civil Liberties Union and Jenner & Block LLP filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government's misuse of taxpayer dollars to fund religious activities in the "Silver Ring Thing," a nationwide ministry program that uses abstinence-only sex education as a means to bring "unchurched" students to Jesus Christ.
(http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/12602prs20050516.html )

Crushing news out of Uganda. The Bush administration’s $1 billion experiment in using abstinence messages as the basis of HIV prevention has born its first fruit: In a public speech on May 18, Uganda’s AIDS Commissioner Kihumuro Apuuli announced that HIV infections have almost doubled in Uganda over the past two years, from 70,000 in 2003 to 130,000 in 2005. And despite this chilling wake-up call, Bush has empowered Christian right activists to continue to push their abstinence-only agenda. (http://www.republicoft.com/2007/05/18/abstaining-from-reality/ )

The Bush administration is funding sexual health projects that teach children that HIV can be contracted through sweat and tears, touching genitals can result in pregnancy, and that a 43-day-old fetus is a thinking person.

The Virginia Governor has cut off state funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, citing recent studies finding that teenagers should also be taught about birth control and condoms to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201716.html?hpid=sec-education )

abstinence policy hasn't worked at all
(http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13076 )

Former Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso criticized the US for using the wrong strategy to fight Aids by promoting abstinence and fidelity. Brazil has halved the Aids death rate by setting up education campaigns, expanding basic health care and providing all those infected with anti-retroviral drugs.

Brazil announced last month that it would refuse to accept $40m in American aid rather than stigmatize prostitutes who Brazilian health workers said were essential to their anti-Aids strategy. Senegal was also cut off from US aid because prostitution is legal there.

While it goes without saying that abstinence is the best way of avoiding HIV infection, it does not make sense to ignore and deny resources to those that are sexually active who are in fact the ones most at risk of catching the virus. (http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/646 )

Brazil Refuses $40M in U.S. AIDS Grants To Protest Policy Requiring Groups To Condemn Commercial Sex Work (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/23744.php )