Focus on the Family Denounces Powell's Pro-Condom Comments

Focus on the Family
Thursday, 14 February 2002

Dr. James Dobson Calls on President Bush to Repudiate Secretary of State's Remarks

In a global forum with young adults to be broadcast internationally by MTV, Secretary of State Colin Powell today encouraged the world's youth to "forget about conservative ideas" with respect to sex education, and promoted the use of condoms to combat the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Focus on the Family President Dr. James C. Dobson strongly denounced Powell's remarks.

"Colin Powell is the Secretary of State, not the Secretary of Health," Dobson said. "He is talking about a subject he doesn't understand. He clearly doesn't understand the science regarding condom efficacy."

Dobson held out Uganda as an example of the effectiveness of abstinence in stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

"Secretary Powell seems to be ignorant of the fact that Uganda has made great progress against AIDS by emphasizing abstinence, not condoms. Uganda has cut the rate of HIV infection by as much as 50 percent among young people by delaying the onset of sexual activity by two years."

Bradley Beck, M.D., medical issues advisor for Focus on the Family, noted Powell's ignorance of the facts: "It would have been nice if Colin Powell had read the condom efficacy report published last year by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other government health agencies. The study showed no data proving condom efficacy for most sexually transmitted diseases. Powell's comments fly in the face of that report."

The study, released in July 2001, is titled, "Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention."

Dobson added, "Secretary Powell's comments directly contradict those of his boss, President Bush, who just proposed a $33 million increase in funding for abstinence-only education in the United States. As one who has distinguished himself in the armed services, surely Mr. Powell must understand the importance of self-control and discipline. These very characteristics are helping to win the war against terrorism. It is these same traits that can keep young people from HIV infection through abstinence.

"Colin Powell is a career soldier. He knows what it means to follow the Commander-in-Chief. We have to assume he wouldn't contradict his boss without prior approval. If that is not the case, the President needs to publicly repudiate these statements immediately."

For more information, or to contact Focus on the Family, see their website at: www.family.org