October 20, 2006
GAO FINDS HHS MUST REQUIRE 'MEDICALLY ACCURATE' INFO ON CONDOMS
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Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) requested the GAO investigation into federally funded abstience-only programs that prompted new findings that will help advocates hold HHS accountable for funding programs that lie to young people. |
The non-partisan United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced Wednesday that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failure to enforce medically accurate information about the effectiveness of condoms in federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs would violate federal law.
The new finding may land HHS' Administration for Children and Families in court. The agency has claimed that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are exempt from the medical accuracy requirement and prohibited such programs from discussing the effectiveness of condoms. In fact, many programs funded with federal dollars deliberately undermine young people's faith in condoms by exaggerating condom failure rates."For the better part of twenty-five years, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have been permitted to use tax-payer dollars to lie about the effectiveness of condoms and the current Administration has, time and again, failed to hold these programs accountable for much of anything except cashing their grant checks," said William Smith, vice president for public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS).
"If HHS fails to act and obey the law, as it has failed to do repeatedly when it comes to most-favored status for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, we are likely to end up in the courts," Smith said.
For more information on the GAO finding and abstinence-only-until marriage programs, visit the SIECUS website at www.SIECUS.org.
Will the GAO Statement Help Young People in NY?
"The GAO finding supports what Planned Parenthood of New York City has always known: that teens need medically accurate reproductive health education that will help keep them safe, including information on both abstinence and condoms," said Dana Czuczka, Director of Government Relations for Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC).
"For that reason, PPNYC - as part of Get the Facts New York- supports the Healthy Teens Act, which would create a competitive grant program in New York State to ultimately fund comprehensive sex education in New York public schools. Sex Ed programs that teach both abstinence AND contraception have proven results to help young people delay sex and then use contraception when they do have sex," she said. "Our teens deserve nothing less."
To learn about what abstinence-only-until marriage programs mean for young people in New York city, visit Get the Facts NY.
Want to Know What Else is Crazy About these Ab-Only Programs?
The Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP NY) and the LGBT Community Center present...
LESSON PLANS FOR HOMOPHOBIA: Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, anti-gay harassment, and HIV stigma in schools
Tuesday, October 24th
6:30 - 8:30PM
LGBT Community Center
208 West 13th Street (between 7th/8th Aves.)
New York City
Free and open to the public
Refreshments will be provided.
Speakers include:
Diana Bruce, AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
Maxwell Ciardullo, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
Elizabeth Diaz, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Shaquana Gardner, Teen Advocate Program – Planned Parenthood NYC, High School Student
Moderated by: Ann Northrup, Veteran AIDS activist/educator, co-host of the national TV show, "Gay USA"
Co-sponsored by: ACT UP New York, Advocates for Youth, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), LGBT Community Center, New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC), Planned Parenthood of NYC, Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP), Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), Youth CAHN (NYCAHN) (list in progress)