naturally the best person to be in charge of contraception is someone who does not belive in it ;\ I actually think that hormonal contraception *is* overprescribed, but not, I think, for the reasons these people do. I feel sorry for the women who stumble in there seeking information.
On 11/18/06, Larry Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From yesterday's washington post: > > Bush Choice for Family-Planning Post Criticized > > By Christopher Lee > Washington Post Staff Writer > Friday, November 17, 2006; A01 > > The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs > at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian > pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of > contraceptives as "demeaning to women." > > Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman's Concern, a nonprofit group based > in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population > affairs in the next two weeks, department spokeswoman Christina Pearson said > yesterday. > > Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist, will advise Secretary Mike Leavitt on > matters such as reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy. He will oversee > $283 million in annual family-planning grants that, according to HHS, are > "designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all > who want and need them with priority given to low-income persons." > > The appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, was the latest > provocative personnel move by the White House since Democrats won control of > Congress in this month's midterm elections. President Bush last week pushed > the Senate to confirm John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations and > this week renominated six candidates for appellate court judgeships who have > previously been blocked by lawmakers. Democrats said the moves belie Bush's > post-election promises of bipartisanship. > > The Keroack appointment angered many family-planning advocates, who noted > that A Woman's Concern supports sexual abstinence until marriage, opposes > contraception and does not distribute information promoting birth control at > its six centers in eastern Massachusetts. > > "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," the group's Web site > says. > > Keroack was traveling and could not be reached for comment. John O. Agwunobi, > assistant secretary for health, said Keroack "is highly qualified and a > well-respected physician . . . working primarily with women and girls in > crisis." > > Mark Conrad, president of A Woman's Concern, said Keroack would be able to > make the transition to leading a federal program in which provision of birth > control is an integral part. "I don't think it's going to be an issue for > him," he said. > > The group helps women in unplanned pregnancies but discourages abortions, > Conrad said. He said the decision is the woman's but "we do want to give her > the opportunity to have all the information and the support necessary to > choose life." > > Marilyn Keefe, interim president of the National Family Planning and > Reproductive Health Association, which represents 4,000 family-planning > clinics, said Keroack's work "seems to really be geared toward furthering > anti-choice, anti-contraception policies." She added that despite the > congressional election results, the appointment "goes to show you the > importance of controlling the White House and how important federal agencies > are in the delivery of health services." > > The federal family-planning program, created in 1970, supports a network of > 4,600 family-planning clinics that provide information and counseling to 5 > million people each year. Services include patient education and counseling, > breast and pelvic exams, pregnancy diagnosis and counseling, and screenings > for cervical cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. > > Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, > called Keroack's appointment "striking proof that the Bush administration > remains dramatically out of step with the nation's priorities." > > Taken together, Keroack's appointment, the Bolton push and the judicial > renominations suggest that although Bush may work for consensus with > Democrats on selected issues, he does not plan to avoid decisions simply > because lawmakers will disagree, and he may in fact seek fights in some > instances when he feels they may be useful politically. > > Confirmation of Bolton and the judicial nominees are popular causes with > Bush's conservative base, and a family-planning chief from an organization > that opposes contraceptives may appeal to disaffected social conservatives. > > White House spokeswoman Dana M. Perino cautioned against reading a larger > pattern into the recent moves, saying, "You have to look at these things in > isolation." > > She added: "The president has said we will look to reach common ground where > we can find it. However, he's not going to compromise on his principles." > > Staff writer Peter Baker contributed to this report. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:220968 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
