<\body> Stories in America: First the Pill, Now Condoms

Friday, November 11, 2005

First the Pill, Now Condoms

If social conservatives don't like condoms, they shouldn't use them. From the LA Times:

Against a background of pressure from social conservatives, the Food and Drug Administration is recommending a new series of labels for condoms, warning that they "greatly reduce, but do not eliminate" the risk of some sexually transmitted diseases.

Though little noticed by the general public, the issue of condom labeling has become another battleground in the nation's culture wars.

Social conservatives have been working in Congress and elsewhere to press their contention that unwarranted reliance on condoms encourages promiscuous behavior and can contribute to the spread of disease; many in this camp advocate abstinence on both medical and moral grounds. Many public health groups, as well as birth-control advocacy groups such as Planned Parenthood, argue that adding caveats to condom labels could discourage their use and thus increase the likelihood of unprotected sex.

1 Comments:

At 11/15/2005 12:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seems to me, if you're only one-quarter less likely to test positive for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) with a condom, the responsible thing to do is make sure the customer knows the risk...regardless of who you're cheering for in the "culture wars."

 

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