Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, during a visit to Washington inner-city's Ballou Senior High School, told the teenagers in attendance that they needed a president "that's comfortable talking about sex." He stated that it was important to talk openly about the role of sex in the spread of AIDS, and the importance of condom usage as a preventative measure. "I happen to be a doctor so I'm more comfortable than most I would say. Not many politicians are willing to talk about stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, condoms and sexual activity, but you have to do it."

Even more significant was his response to a student question about what he would do about unwanted teen pregnancy. Dean stated that "Some kids are going to abstain -- which we encourage -- some kids are not and you've got to be truthful in both cases. That's all we can do. We can't control your behavior." 

This is in sharp contrast to the current Bush administration policies on sexuality and AIDS, where being truthful has been completely eliminated from the agenda. They have an anti-sex agenda that is closer to an assault on sexual freedom and information.

While Dean would teach the importance of condom usage, Bush has been engaged in a campaign of misinformation and censorship. The Bush administration had information on condom usage to prevent AIDS removed from the Center for Disease Control Web site. A separate CDC listing of sex-education "Programs that Work," meant to give local officials information on scientifically proven methods of reducing risky teen sexual behavior was also removed. Bush has been appointing fundamentalist critics of condoms to a presidential advisory panel on AIDS.

In Bush's much touted $15 billion, five-year plan to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, not only is abstinence being promoted over teaching safe sex and preventative methods, but the administration has not even bothered to get the plan fully funded. Only 20 percent of the money goes to preventative measures.

Bush's appointees across the board have shared his extreme anti-sex views. His own Attorney General Ashcroft has stated that he would ban the birth control pill if given the opportunity. He has made clear his intention to put the adult industry out of business. 

Bush's appointment to head the Food and Drug Administration's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee was Dr. W. David Hager. He is a pro-life OB/GYN who refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. His prescription for women suffering from premenstrual syndrome is for them to read the bible and pray. Like Ashcroft, he erroneously believes that the birth control pill is a form of abortion.

 Senior advisor for welfare policy Ron Haskins recently told the Washington Times, "Cohabiting is a plague and we should do what we can do discourage it." There are 11 million people cohabiting currently in the United States, and most couples currently live together before marriage.
 

Bush’s Deputy Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services served as a Director of the Board of Peacemaker Ministries, which opposes the rights of individuals to sue to resolve disputes, including divorce and suits by children who have been sexually abused by members of the clergy (ironically, he is also Bush's current nominee to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals). He strongly supported removing birth control information from the CDC Web site, strongly opposes abortion rights, and was the architect of the multiple government audits against groups that support AIDs education and condom use. Rep. Henry A. Waxman called these audits "politically motivated" and part of the administration's extreme abstinence only agenda.
            
The Bush administration, along with the Vatican, led the effort at the U.N. Children's Meeting in blocking an effort by European and Latin American countries to include a reference in the final declaration to "reproductive health-care services."  

The Bush promoted $73 million dollar Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) program requires that the following be taught: “Sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.” and “A mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity.” Both statements are not supported by science or real world experience. By law, SPRANS programs cannot promote or endorse condom use. 

One of Bush's first actions as president was to sign an executive order barring aid to international organizations offering abortions or even mentioning the possibility of an abortion as part of their family-planning services. According to a recent study done in Ethiopia, Kenya, Romania and Zambia by Planned Parenthood, this has resulted in the closing of many family planning clinics in the poor countries that need them most. Ironically, many experts believe that the decreased access to birth control methods has led to an increase in abortions.

Dean's frank and open comments about sex are a refreshing change from the current President's disastrous anti-sex policies. Whether any of the other candidates will have the courage to take on the president on this issue remains to be seen. Dean is exactly right when he says "The first thing you have to do when you talk about AIDS is you can't be afraid to mention the word 'condoms' which the president doesn't like to talk about very much."  He not only does not want to talk about them, he does not want people to know about them, even though using them can prevent a lot of death and misery. That is unconscionable.
 

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