FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
CONTACT:
|
Bill
Barker |
| June 29, 2000 |
|
(202) 419-3420 |
House Rejects
Critical International Family Planning Amendment
"Gag" Rule
Limits Access to Contraception Critical in Fighting
Unplanned Pregnancy and
Disease
WASHINGTON, DC (June 29, 2000) Citing the fact that nearly 80 million
pregnancies worldwide each year are unplanned, Advocates
for Youth's President, James Wagoner, condemns the House
Appropriations Committee's
refusal to ease funding restrictions on international organizations
that advocate for the entire range of reproductive health
services.
By a 34-26 vote, the House Committee turned down Rep. Nita Lowey's (D-NY)
amendment that would have eased the funding restriction included in the
$13.3 billion foreign aid bill. "Restricting family planning funding
for international organizations that also provide abortion services forces
women not only to go to extreme measures to terminate an unplanned pregnancy,
but prohibits them from acquiring the means to prevent pregnancy in the
first place," said Wagoner.
The global "gag" rule prohibits U.S. public funds from being
distributed to international family planning organizations that also
use private funds to provide abortions or advocate for better abortion
laws.
Wagoner calls on politicians to stop putting their political agendas
above the health and well-being of women and children throughout the
world. "It's ironic that by restricting funding for family planning
organizations, the very politicians who oppose abortion are limiting
the most effective and fundamental means of preventing abortion," said
Wagoner.
Currently 46 million pregnancies worldwide end in abortion each year.
In developing regions where abortion is often illegal or highly restricted,
the maternal mortality rate due to unsafe abortions is more than three
hundred times higher than the rate in developed countries.
"By supporting policies like the global "gag" rule U.S.
politicians are forcing international family planning organizations to
choose between critical U.S. funding and the health and lives of millions
of women. This is not only naive and short-sighted, but irresponsible
and dangerous," concluded Wagoner.
###
Note
to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set
up an interview with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact
Bill Barker at (202) 419-3420.
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