Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - (Page 5) poor. But the 4,400 clinics that rely on this money haven’t seen support for the program keep pace with inflation. In 2008 and 2009, Congress allocated $300 million for Title X. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies wants the federal government to spend more than double that amount — $700 million — in coming years. Despite a deficit-hampered economic environment, Wagoner believes the request has merit. “A $700 million ask is reasonable and credible — even in a difficult fiscal environment — because of the tremendous savings that occur when government invests in prevention,” he says. “The government saves three or four dollars for every dollar it spends on family planning.” After spending billions to stimulate the economy, prevent bank and mortgage foreclosures and perhaps save the American automobile industry, some public policy wonks wonder if there will be money left to increase spending on anything. “I think the big wild card here is what will happen with the budget,” says Janet Crepps, a deputy director at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR). And if there is money to spend, Bill Albert at the National Campaign says advocating for more Title X funding may be an uphill battle. “It’s very hard to sell prevention because you are asking people to spend money on things they can’t see or touch,” he says. That’s why Albert wants to see the healthcare reform debate expanded to include discussions of teen and unplanned pregnancy. If the U.S. spends more on pregnancy prevention, it saves money on medical costs, which currently consumes about 16 percent of the nation’s GDP. “It’s as if the health care reform world is over there and we’re over here,” Albert says. “It’s amazingly frustrating.” The war in Iraq is one many issues Barack Obama will face as president. Pictured here in a 2008 visit to Iraq is Obama, General David Petraeus and Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska senator who didn’t run for relection in November. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Reproductive rights Shortly after Barack Obama’s victory, CRR issued a letter outlining three recommendations for the new president-elect, including nominating federal judges who affirm a woman’s right to choose, basing health care policies on science and promoting reproductive health worldwide. “Over the past eight years, while there’s been growing recognition of reproductive rights as human rights around the world, the United States has been moving backwards,” says Nancy Northrup, CRR president. “Now under an Obama administration, the U.S. can reverse … regressive policies and finally return to the stage as a world leader.” (Watch Northrup’s YouTube video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=isxg UT9Ss3A) At home, the new president may have a chance to appoint a justice to the United States Supreme Court, a rarity for Democrats. GOP presidents selected seven of the nine current justices. (Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer are the exceptions — both were appointed by President Clinton.) According to CRR, only four of nine Supreme Court justices have expressed support for Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion, making reproductive rights advocates nervous about the possible retirement or death of any of the four justices while George W. Bush is president. “This may be the area that’s giving us more relief [about Obama’s election] than anything else,” Crepps says. “Whatever happens in the next four years, we’re not going to lose any ground.” Justice John Paul Stevens, 88, is the oldest member of the court. Appointed by President Ford in 1975, he has voted in favor of abortion rights in several cases. The court’s most conservative justices — Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — are relatively young at ages 72, 60 and 58. Meanwhile, Congress should be a friendlier place for abortion rights advocates. Naral ProChoice America, which endorsed Obama in his tight race against Sen. Hillary Clinton, tabulated a 20-vote gain in the House and a 6-vote gain in the Senate for pro-choice supporters. In the House, Naral estimates there will be 185 pro-choice, 46 mixed-choice and 204 antichoice members. In the Senate, look for 40 prochoice, 18 mixed-choice and 42 anti-choice members. CRR also offers specific critiques regarding the emergency contraceptive Plan B and the Global Gag Rule. The Center wants Obama appointees at the Food and Drug Administration to make Plan B available without a prescription. continued on page 6 “Abstinence-only is not only a poor and bad policy, it is dangerous to the health of our young people. It’s ideological. It’s political. It’s catering to a radical right-wing view and it should be stopped.” — Nancy Pelosi January 2009 Vol. 43, No. 1 | www.aasect.org Contemporary Sexuality 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isxgUT9Ss3A http://www.aasect.org
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contents Member Profile Quick Hits: Sex in the News News of Members News from AASECT's Board of Directors Educational Opportunities Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 3) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 4) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 5) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Member Profile (Page 6) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Quick Hits: Sex in the News (Page 7) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Quick Hits: Sex in the News (Page 8) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - News of Members (Page 9) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - News from AASECT's Board of Directors (Page 10) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Educational Opportunities (Page 11) Contemporary Sexuality - January 2009 - Educational Opportunities (Page 12)
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