World AIDS Day: Will Dems challenge "the Luxury of Abstinence?"

[marmar]

From InterPress:

WORLD AIDS DAY:
Challenging the "Luxury" of Abstinence
Haider Rizvi

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (IPS) - While there is no indication that the George W. Bush administration is willing to roll back its current restrictions on funding for HIV/AIDS, it may find it difficult to maintain the status quo when Democrats take charge of the U.S. Congress in January.

With increasing pressure from women groups, religious organisations and health advocacy groups, Democratic lawmakers seem ready to challenge the notion that abstinence from sex until marriage is the best way to combat AIDS at home and abroad.

"We will see a strong effort this year," said Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of her plans to introduce new legislation to remove "abstinence only" conditions on HIV/AIDS funding.

If passed, the proposed Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act (also called the Pathway Act) would also require effective strategies to deal with the issue of violence against women and lack of sexual education.

"This abstinence-only policy isn't working. It doesn't make sense for us," Lee told reporters at a teleconference organised by the Washington-based Centre for Health and Gender Equity Thursday.

So far, as many as 80 members of Congress and more than 70 non-governmental AIDS organisations, including a number of religious groups, are backing the proposed legislation.

"We fully support this act," said Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregation. "Our policies must reflect the realities of peoples' lives." ...........

The complete article is at: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35675