May (Web-only) 2002

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As U.S. promotes abstinence at U.N. children's summit, ACLU sues program for promoting religion
At the United Nations Special Session on Children, the United States is one of the only countries opposing encouragement of abortion and promoting abstinence, says Reuters. At the opening session, U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson said the U.S. continues to support "healthy behaviors and right choices" for children by "strengthening close parent-child relationships, encouraging the delay of sexual activity and supporting abstinence education programs." Speaking more specifically about that last point, he said, "As President Bush has said, abstinence is the only sure way of avoiding sexually transmitted disease, premature pregnancy and the social and personal difficulties attendant to nonmarital sexual activity."

Another delegate, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Anne Peterson, told reporters, "It's not the only answer and it's not the answer for every youth, but it is a clearly a very strong protective factor that many youth are willing to do and really does make a difference."

It's not the most controversial point of the meeting. Only the U.S. and Somalia have refused to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the U.S. says it infringes on parents' rights. (President Clinton signed the convention but never submitted it to the Senate.)

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union plans to file suit against the state of Louisiana for an abstinence education program. The complaint this time isn't the usual claim that abstinence education is ineffective and puts teens at risk—it's that it's too effective—in promoting religion. "With $1.6 million in federal funds annually, the suit contends, Louisiana has ...