This week we have learned that the U.S. House of Representatives has refused to fund abstinence education programs to fight AIDS in Africa.  The House vote, 226-200 would eliminate a requirement that 33% go toward abstinence and be faithful programs under the ABC model.  The ABC stands for abstinence, be faithful, and condoms when necessary.

This House made this move despite the fact that there have been some major positive results.  This model has accounted for declining HIV/AIDS rates in seven of fifteen countries where this program has been used.  A health survey In Uganda reported the number of males age 15-25 having premarital sex decreased from 60% to 23% from 1989-1995.  The decrease for females was 54%-16%.

Edward Green is a researcher At Harvard who opposed this model, especially abstinence, but has now changed his mind after seeing what is happening in Uganda.  He said, “Many of us in the AIDS and public health communities did not believe that abstinence, or delay and faithfulness were realistic goals.  It now seems that we were wrong.”  He testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In speaking to this issue, Rep Joe Pitts, R.-Pa. said that, “in countries that have relied predominantly on condom distribution, HIV/AIDS prevalence rates have not improved, while countries that promote behavioral change have seen significant improvement.

This has been used as a political football.  We talk a lot about wanting to do something as a nation to help those around the world.  Certainly there is more that we could do, but when we have the chance to continue a program that works, our House of Representatives decided to go down the road of politics built on a humanistic and immoral philosophy.  We can be grateful for the 200 that tried to restore the funding through an amendment, but the result is tragic.  In my mind this is just a another example of how we continue to reject our heritage of one nation under God.