Planned Parenthood Warns that Ideological Agenda in the U.S Global HIV/AIDS Response Endangers Lives
For Immediate Release: Dec. 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America condemns the Trump-Pence administration’s continued attacks on the world’s most vulnerable communities with the White House’s latest guidance affirming the expansion of the global gag rule and prioritizing abstinence-only education in PEPFAR, the U.S program dedicated to the global HIV/AIDS response.
Statement from Dana Singiser, Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
The Trump-Pence administration is once again pushing an extreme ideology that threatens public health by undermining vital gains in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In recent years, progress has included significant declines in new HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women for the first time in the history of the epidemic. Legitimizing and prioritizing abstinence-only education in the global HIV/AIDS response threatens to undo that progress and discourages the many organizations supported by PEPFAR that advance comprehensive, evidence-based programs to prevent HIV/AIDS. Research clearly shows that abstinence-only education does not work. And policy that is driven by extreme ideology is not just ineffective — it can be deadly.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.