Sex, Lies and Duct Tape. (Letters).I WAS GLAD TO SEE Jennifer Block's article, "Sex, Lies, and Duct Tape duct tapen. A usually silver adhesive tape made of cloth mesh coated with a waterproof material, originally designed for sealing heating and air-conditioning ducts. Noun 1. ," sharing information about the Bush administration's assaults on sexual health information. What Block didn't point out, however, was that these efforts are often cloaked in moral language that suggests that abstinence-only programs are consistent with religious values. Most recently, Representative Tom DeLay defended spending one third of the global AIDS initiative for abstinence-only programs by saying that this was a "moral crusade." However, there are religious foundations for supporting comprehensive sexuality education and resisting abstinence-only efforts. Young people need help in order to develop their capacity for moral discernment and a freely informed conscience. Education that respects and empowers young people has more integrity than education based on incomplete information, fear, and shame. Our scriptural scrip·tur·al adj. 1. Of or relating to writing; written. 2. often Scriptural Of, relating to, based on, or contained in the Scriptures. and theological commitment to telling the truth calls for full and honest education about sexual and reproductive health Within the framework of WHO's definition of health[1] as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene . It is withholding information about pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, and the less common granuloma inguinale, prevention from the young people who need it that is the immoral response. REV. DEBRA DEBRA Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America W. HAFFNER Director Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing Norwalk, CT JENNIFER BLOCK'S SPRING 2003 "Sex, Lies and Duct Tape" was right on target. The Bush administration's outrageous cover-up of basic, widely-known medical information endangers the health of millions of women and men in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and abroad. It is important to realize that "abstinence abstinence: see fasting; temperance movements. only" programming isn't really about reducing teen pregnancies. And it's not just about censorship, either--it is an excuse to teach right-wing ideology to a captive audience in our public schools. Students learn that sex is dirty and unpleasant, that being gay is unhealthy, and that women ruin our lives when we control our own bodies. The fight against abstinence-only funding is about more than saving sex education: it's about the political present and future of our country. CRYSTAL PLATI Executive Director, Choice USA Washington, DC |
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