Joycelyn Elders Puts Congress on Blast
As social conservatives push cuts for reproductive health services, the outspoken former surgeon general says that not much has changed since her '90s battle with them.
By: Cynthia Gordy | Posted: April 18, 2011 at 12:52 AM
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JE: I think President Obama would like to do an awful lot more than he's done, but he's burdened down with three wars, a marked decline in our economic situation and the job losses. I think he's doing the best he can.
For example, (American political leaders had) been trying for 100 years to pass a health care bill of some sort. What President Obama signed was not complete, but I was very pleased that we at least got a bill that we can improve. And legislators are still out there trying to put riders on that so that the health exchanges in the states can't offer and pay for abortions. I'm so tired of them playing vaginal politics that I could just vomit.
TR: Do you think attitudes about sexuality and contraception have evolved since 1994?
JE: I think our attitude toward sexuality certainly is evolving, and that's because more people are better educated. We were operating under a theory at that time that ignorance is bliss. Now we know that by sitting around and saying our children aren't having sex, what we're doing is sacrificing them to unplanned pregnancies, HIV and
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A (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) study in 2008 said that 25 percent of all 14- to 19-year-old girls have an STI, and among black girls it's up to 49 percent. So we need to teach them how to protect themselves. Other countries can do it. Why can't we?
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THE REST:
http://www.theroot.com/views/root-interview-jocelyn-elders?page=0,2
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