'Abstinence Only' Undermines the War on HIV/AIDS

Conservative Republican Senator Rick Santorum, from my home state of Pennsylvania, recently reiterated his longstanding support for the global war against HIV/AIDS by touting the passage of the new omnibus appropriations bill, which includes $2.9 billion in HIV/AIDS funding.

While I rarely agree with Senator Santorum on most issues, I applaud his commitment to fighting the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, and I commend Congress for funding this effort. However, along with the funding, Congress needs to address some spending policies that are having a negative impact on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Perhaps foremost among these concerns is the promotion of "abstinence-only" sex education.

Although George W. Bush made HIV/AIDS a centerpiece of his 2003 State of the Union address, his global HIV/AIDS legislative initiative (PL-108-25) included a congressional earmark requiring one-third of U.S. AIDS prevention funds to be utilized for "abstinence-until-marriage" programs which do not include instruction on safe sex. The result is less money for other proven methods of preventing HIV transmission, such as education about condom use and the provision of condoms.

The law also allows faith-based groups that receive federal funds to refuse to provide information about condoms and other proven methods of protection, and to refuse to make referrals to clinics and other providers that do dispense such information and services.

While abstinence is certainly an effective method of preventing HIV/AIDS as well as other sexually-transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy, abstinence-only education is impractical and downright dangerous when implemented to the exclusion of a broader and more inclusive approach to sex education.

While most people who choose to abstain from sex until marriage surely have the best of intentions, history and statistics have shown that, all too often, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Peer pressure, a couple of beers, or just plain old raging hormones can cloud the judgment of even the most strong-willed proponents of abstinence.