Global Gag Rule Must Not Be Domesticated

[Triana]

Run Date: 06/25/08
By Carol Roye
WeNews commentator

If Democrats take back the White House, a U.S. restriction on overseas family planning aid should be lifted. Meantime, Carol Roye says, watch out for a domestic version of the "global gag rule" in the Bush administration's final days.

Editor's Note: The following is a commentary. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Women's eNews.

By Carol Roye
WeNews commentator

(WOMENSENEWS)--Reproductive health advocates far and wide are hoping for a Democratic victory in November to unbind us all from the "global gag rule."

But now is not the time to look ahead. During the waning days of the Bush administration, the Family Research Council--founded in 1988 by Dr. James Dobson to lobby for such "traditional family values" as abstinence-only sexuality education and stamping out women's right to choose--is doing what it can to domesticate this destructive foreign-aid policy.

As several major international family planning organizations have reported, the Mexico City Policy--as the global gag rule is formally known--compromises the health of millions of women, men and children in poor nations by eroding access to contraceptives and condoms.

It has led to more unwanted and high-risk pregnancies, more unsafe abortions and more maternal illness, injury and death. It has also prevented couples from reducing their risk for HIV-AIDS because they have no access to condoms. The gag rule costs poor countries tens of millions of dollars in lost aid every year.

The Family Research Council and its allies are petitioning President Bush to "make the necessary changes to Title X regulations to prevent U.S taxpayer funds from being used to promote and facilitate abortion" and expand the international policy to restrict domestic health clinics.

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