Treatment Action Network Alert

Bush Administration HIV/AIDS Report Card

March 13, 2002

http://www.thebody.com/pinf/bush_report_card.html

Leadership

In the past year, the Bush Administration has actively undermined effective HIV prevention programs. The Administration failed to endorse and develop prevention policies and programs based upon the findings of "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior." In addition, the Administration has attacked comprehensive, locally tailored HIV prevention programs. The ultimate goals and scope of an Administration-driven review of all HIV/AIDS programs, including prevention programs, remains unclear and undefined.

The public health community shares grave concern over this Administration's strong and vocal support for abstinence-only and abstinence-until-marriage programs to the exclusion of comprehensive prevention messages that include a discussion about and access to contraceptives.

This Administration continues to support a federal ban on harm reduction programs, including needle exchange programs that have been affirmed by the Institute of Medicine. President Bush has maintained the Clinton Administration directive prohibiting the use of federal funds to support needle exchange programs and has endorsed a similar ban on the use of District of Columbia funds in the Administration's FY 2002 and FY 2003 budgets.