[left: Edward Kienholz, Illegal Operation, 1962]

With my vegan condoms in the mail, I was shocked to read this lil tidbit:

Studies suggest that condoms, when used consistently and correctly, offer significant risk reduction (80-87%) for HIV/AIDS. Condoms provide less risk reduction for other sexually transmitted diseases. Research indicates significant risk reduction for HIV to almost none for others (e.g., HPV).

Seriously?

Um, no. This lie comes from 4Parents.gov, a Department of Health and Human Services (read: Bush) site. Compare this to Planned Parenthood’s stats:

Condoms Work! In a 1987–91 study of couples in which one partner had HIV, all 123 couples who used condoms every time for four years prevented transmission of HIV. In 122 couples who did not use condoms every time, 12 partners became infected.

At least NOW’s gotten Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) to get a review of 4Parents.gov started. In the meantime, this pro-abstinence, anti-condom website remains live, answering such pressing questions as (gasp!) “What if your teen has already had sex?�? The answer: “Be sure to tell your teen that having multiple partners in their lifetime can be one of the biggest threats to their physical and emotional health.�?

Consider me emotionally ruined.

I find this site especially disturbing because Prop 73 is up for vote in the Governator’s special elections in November. If Prop 73 passes, doctors will be required to make pregnant minors wait 48 hours before an abortion while their parents are told about the pregnancy.

The requirement might not be a problem for girls from healthy families who are open to talking about sex candidly and honestly. But the girls put at risk are the ones whose parents preach hell and damnation – and the info parents get from 4parents.gov encourages parents to do more of that – or at worst, whose parents or relatives rape and impregnate them.

And where there’s a will, there’s a way. It’ll be back to illegal back alley abortions for these girls if Prop 73 passes.

Talk about threats to physical and emotional health –

Update, 9/24/05: The Dept. of Health and Human Services wrote me back — saying that “the Web site acknowledges that the best choice for sexually active teens is a return to abstinence until establishing marriage or a committed monogamous relationship.” AAAAHHHH! I’m so angry that I feel immobilized. Sure, Rep. Henry Waxman, the ACLU, and NOW have gotten an “investigation” started, but the site’s still up, misinforming vulnerable teens every day. As someone who was a sexually active — and rather insecure and frightened — teen not so long ago, this is literally making me shed tears. The feeling that there’s nothing else I can do about this almost drives me into a painful political apathy –

Update, 10/1/05: Well, I haven’t given up yet. No on 73 Campaign kicked off today.

Update, 4/14/06: Glamour has a comprehensive and informative article detailing how the conservative right has gotten the government to spread its abstinence agenda. One of the worst results: rape victims can be denied emergency contraception.

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