Contraception, abortion foe to head family-planning office

[DomCasual]

Remember those ad spoofs SNL used to do for Bad Idea Jeans? "Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, 'When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?'"

This is just one of those. Right? Seriously - right?

Contraception, abortion foe to head family-planning office

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration, to the consternation of its critics, has picked the medical director of an organization that opposes premarital sex, contraception and abortion to lead the office that oversees federally funded teen pregnancy, family planning and abstinence programs.

The appointment of Eric Keroack, a Marblehead, Massachusetts, obstetrician and gynecologist, to oversee the federal Office of Population Affairs and its $283 million annual budget has angered family-planning advocates.

Keroack currently is medical director of A Woman's Concern, a Christian nonprofit. The Dorchester, Massachusetts-based organization runs six centers in the state that offer free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and counseling.

It also works to "help women escape the temptation and violence of abortion," according to its statement of faith. And it opposes contraception, saying its use increases out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion rates.

"A Woman's Concern is persuaded that the crass commercialization and distribution of birth control is demeaning to women, degrading of human sexuality and adverse to human health and happiness," its contraception policy reads in part.

"The appointment of anti-birth control, anti-sex education advocate Dr. Eric Keroack to oversee the nation's family planning program is striking proof that the Bush administration remains dramatically out of step with the nation's priorities," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.

A message left with A Woman's Concern was not immediately returned Friday.

Keroack's appointment as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs does not require Senate confirmation. He is expected to start work in the next several weeks, Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Christina Pearson said.

The department's assistant secretary for health, Dr. John Agwunobi, cited Keroack's experience in working primarily with "women and girls in crisis" in lauding his appointment.

"He regularly speaks to youth audiences on sexual risk behaviors and has been nationally recognized for his work on preventing teen pregnancy," Agwunobi said.

[W*GS]

I suspect Bush is trying to get back in the good graces of the evangelicals in the aftermath of the Foley and other scandals that have whacked the GOP, plus he's reading the fact that most states now ban gay marriage.

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by DomCasual

(Federal)office that oversees federally funded teen pregnancy, family planning and abstinence programs.

Maybe I'm way off on this one, but doesn't this seem like an easy place to trim some fat off the federal budget? I mean do we really need the federal Government spending money "family planning and abstinence" programs.

[enjolras]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Maybe I'm way off on this one, but doesn't this seem like an easy place to trim some fat off the federal budget? I mean do we really need the federal Government spending money "family planning and abstinence" programs.

Who would define sexual morality for us peons then?

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by enjolras

Who would define sexual morality for us peons then?

Damn, I forgot how my heathen ways are a drag on society

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Damn, I forgot how my heathen ways are a drag on society

is that a clue dave? Or am i just reading it to literally?



j/k

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by enjolras

Who would define sexual morality for us peons then?

In step with "sexual morality", is the need for a more practical approach. Abortions are expensive. You have a nation composed of dramatically increasing number of relatively uneducated catholics who subscribe to the morality teachings of their catechism.

This isnt a move to appeal to any base...Bush has already proven that he's not too concerned about that. It is possibly a move to encourage responsibility in those poor communities where the federal government gives grants to free and sliding scale clinics. I have seen firsthand the need for a different approach at the ground level. Pregnancy will happen, but the cost of abortion is the same. Granted, some doctors will give pro bono benevolent work, but the government pays for an extreme majority of these types of procedures for indegent patients.

Something needs to change. Hopefully the encouragement of abstinence and the lessening of dependence on the abortion industry will help to eventually free up government and benevolent dollars for things like organ transplants, cancer treatment, and other health care for patients with terminal illnesses who are left to suffer and die.

[epicSocialism4tw]

I see these cases first hand. Contraception does not prevent pregnancy. It makes sense that a family PLANNING organization would encourage the abstinance of sexual intercourse so that the couple involved could be absolutely certain of the timing of the birth of the child. That's nothing that contraception of any type can provide.

Abstinence is the best practical option for all involved. Any social worker or counselor who isnt able to come to that conclusion is not performing their duty.

Coming to the conclusion that "people are just gonna have sex anyway, so why not just let the government take money away from terminally ill patients to pay to perform a procedure that kills a growing child so that the mother can continue to try to climb the social ladder" is irresponsible care by the caregiver.

It makes sense practically, ethically, and morally to hold the patient to the same standard that responsible people are held to. When the person fails to adhere to that standard, then you have the mechanism in place to provide a better alternative than abortion. Practically, the government could help benevolent arms of the populace administer care to the child in preparation for adoption.

The one thing that is of utmost importance in the medical community is patient responsibility. Without that, the whole process of medicine is uselsess. If you get pregnant, it is your responsibility to see it through. You made the choice knowing the consequences. Just as in any other arena of life.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by angryllama

I see these cases first hand. Contraception does not prevent pregnancy. If you get pregnant, it is your responsibility to see it through.

Geeeezus! Another reason why the country is so screwed up, people who don't think contraception will prevent pregnancy. The whole idea of contraception is just a liberal ploy to soil the minds of otherwise God fearing souls.

[Spider]

Birth control ? What in the hell is that ?

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by Bronco_Beerslug

Geeeezus! Another reason why the country is so screwed up, people who don't think contraception will prevent pregnancy. The whole idea of contraception is just a liberal ploy to soil the minds of otherwise God fearing souls.

A DOCTOR I know recently got pregnant while on the normal battery of birth control meds and devices. Being from China and planning to go back, she planned to have her child aborted because they had already had a child. She changed her mind after discussing things with people that cared about her, and she has a baby girl on the way.

There was also a patient in today who's birth control (condom) had failed her and her boyfriend. She is a young, poor, illegal Mexican immigrant. If she aborts the child, the government will pay for it.

There was also a patient in this week with terminal kidney disease. He will die because no one will pay for his kidney transplant. His brother has volunteered his kidney, but no one will perform the surgery pro bono.

The irresponsiblie-behavior induced procedure gets the cash, the terminal patient gets to die. Go figure.

[DomCasual]

Originally Posted by angryllama

A DOCTOR I know recently got pregnant while on the normal battery of birth control meds and devices. Being from China and planning to go back, she planned to have her child aborted because they had already had a child. She changed her mind after discussing things with people that cared about her, and she has a baby girl on the way.

Come on, man. That's like saying, "I knew a guy once that graduated from high school and couldn't read. Thus, we should abolish schooling altogether."

Sure, no kind of contraception is foolproof. It works the vast majority of the time, though - and I'd rather have a kid using it than not using it, if they are going to have sex.

And let's get one thing clear - they are going to have sex. I wish they wouldn't for a lot of reasons - unplanned pregnancies being just one of them. But wishing it doesn't make much difference. I grew up in a very religious environment in which abstinence was taught. I had sex for the first time when I was sixteen, and I didn't know too many virgins by the time I was eighteen.

I hate abortion. I hate every part of it. I wish it wasn't used as freely as it is. But I don't think it can or should be outlawed. Our best option in minimizing it is to try and prevent as many pregnancies as possible. Hoping kids will avoid sex is just not realistic. Educating them and providing accessible options for contraception is a lot cheaper (and more moral, in my opinion) than paying to bring up an unwanted child.

[TheDave]

Sorry Llama but you're pretty out of touch on this... Most commonly used birth control methods are 99%+ effective. On the other hand abstinence only programs have proven to be extremely ineffective (guess that's what happens when you go against a few million years of biology)

Personally i think that all of these programs are a monumental waste of our money, but if we are going to promote one over another lets go for the one that has a proven track record of success.

[Spider]

Best birth control ever is the truckers method ..... back up before you unload ...........

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

Best birth control ever is the truckers method ..... back up before you unload ...........

Says the guy with 80 kids

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Says the guy with 80 kids

[Spider]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Says the guy with 80 kids

My wife has kids and married not me

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Sorry Llama but you're pretty out of touch on this... Most commonly used birth control methods are 99%+ effective. On the other hand abstinence only programs have proven to be extremely ineffective (guess that's what happens when you go against a few million years of biology)

I dont know where you get your data from (planned parenthood?), but you should spend some time in a free clinic.

Personally i think that all of these programs are a monumental waste of our money, but if we are going to promote one over another lets go for the one that has a proven track record of success.

Abortion is effective? Under what premise? Population control?

Abstinence should be the standard. You should know better than this.

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by angryllama

I dont know where you get your data from (planned parenthood?), but you should spend some time in a free clinic.

You're time observing a free clinic is a ridiculous attempt at creating statistics, as a "scientist" you know this to be true. The condom, the pill, etc. when used properly are over 99% effective. Those are the facts regardless of you're experience at the local clinic.

Abortion is effective? Under what premise? Population control?

Abstinence should be the standard. You should know better than this.

I'm not going to touch the abortion issue. Fact is, i don't agree with it nor do i think it should be outlawed.

Abstinence only education is a ridiculous failure and you know it... Do i recommend abstinence to when given the opportunity... sure i do. But we all know what teenagers are going to choose 51% of the time, in those cases condoms are a lot more effective than a "just say no" speech.

[elsid13]

People like sex, and absentence doesn't work, especially in third world nations and poor areas of the United States. The problem with the policy is that doesn't allow the federal funding of free condoms that would prevent the spread of STDs and HIV in poor countries and in poor areas of the USA. Which is World Wide health risk, and sticking your head in the sand is disgraceful.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by TheDave

You're time observing a free clinic is a ridiculous attempt at creating statistics, as a "scientist" you know this to be true. The condom, the pill, etc. when used properly are over 99% effective. Those are the facts regardless of you're experience at the local clinic.

I compile statistics for a free clinic for grant purposes. I see these things every day. Like I asked previously...where do you get your data from?

Abstinence only education is a ridiculous failure and you know it... Do i recommend abstinence to when given the opportunity... sure i do. But we all know what teenagers are going to choose 51% of the time, in those cases condoms are a lot more effective than a "just say no" speech.

Abstinence education is the only education that teaches individual responsibility for the outcome of sex, which is pregnancy. It says: contol your urges like a human being should be able to do, or come up with a reasonable way to deal with the consequences. Killing the child isnt reasonable.

[Spider]

Most women I know would make terrible Ranchers , they cant even keep thier calves together .............

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by angryllama

I compile statistics for a free clinic for grant purposes. I see these things every day. Like I asked previously...where do you get your data from?

It goes on to say that "if each [of these 100 couples] had intercourse at the average coital frequencey of 83 acts per year, then 100 couples would have intercourse a combined 8,300 times a year. Three pregnancies resulting from 8,300 acts of condom use is a remarkably low pregnancy rate (.04 percent) when calculated on a per-condom basis."

R. A. Hatcher, et al., Contraceptive Technology, 17th revised edition (New York: Irvington Publishers, Inc., 1998), p. 328.
http://www.classbrain.com/artteensb/...icle_123.shtml

Of every 100 couples who use condoms correctly and consistently, only three will experience a pregnancy.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/condoms/HQ00463

If you're taking your birth control pills exactly as directed, they're more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bir...l-pill/WO00098

Let me guess your "Stats" are better than the Mayo-Clinic's

[Spider]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Let me guess your "Stats" are better than the Mayo-Clinic's

Stats smats .......... here is what a guy needs .......... Spiders sex manual .....
step 1 Stick in
step 2 pull out
step 3 repeat steps one and 2 if needed ...........

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by angryllama

Abstinence education is the only education that teaches individual responsibility for the outcome of sex, which is pregnancy. It says: contol your urges like a human being should be able to do, or come up with a reasonable way to deal with the consequences. Killing the child isnt reasonable.

Sorry to have to break this too you but the intended outcome of sex is having a good time... I realize "enlightened" people like yourself only engage in intercourse to pro-create, but the rest of us humans are a little more superficial. Hence birth-control...