Dangerous Deception
Evidence suggests that the U.S Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently suppressed a report on the ineffectiveness of condoms at preventing most sexually transmitted diseases while simultaneously continuing to encourage condom use as a means of "safe sex."
Former U.S. Representative Tom Coburn learned of the government report on condom usage and requested it in June 2000. It was not until July of 2001, however, that the CDC even acknowledged the report's existence. In the meantime, the government launched a new campaign called Healthy People 2010 in which it assures people that "condoms, if used correctly and consistently, can help prevent both unintended pregnancies and STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]."
The report specifically found that the scientific evidence is far too weak "to draw definite conclusions about the effectiveness of the latex male condom in reducing the transmission of … diseases" like chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus, the cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer.
Speaking of the CDC's deception, Dr. James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, said, "We know that the CDC has had a scientific report in its possession for more then a year which demonstrates that most STDs are not prevented by condom usage. It's a campaign of deception and misinformation."
Coburn points out that the saddest part of the story is the untold number of teenagers and young adults who have been victimized by the deception. "We've seen a massive expansion [in recent years] of sexually transmitted diseases," said Coburn. "Had the CDC handled [the report] properly, we would not be seeing this."
Citizen, October 2001
Deadly Pattern
According to the most recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly half of the women who had an abortion in 1997 had undergone at least one previous abortion. Nearly 20 percent of those women had undergone at least two previous abortions.
In its December 8, 2000 report of state and national abortion statistics for the year 1997, the CDC found that 45.5 percent of women having abortions admitted to having at least one previous abortion. That is believed to be the highest number of repeat abortions the CDC has ever recorded.
Over a quarter of the women (26.8 percent) reported having one previous abortion. Approximately one in nine (11.2 percent) reported two previous abortions, and 7.4 percent reported having three previous abortions.
These numbers represent a significant increase over the past thirty years in the number of women seeking repeat abortions. In 1974, only 13.2 percent of abortion-seekers reported having previous abortions.
National Right To Life News, September 2001
