ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

"Global Gag Rule" Sends a Chilling Message to the World's One Billion Young People

International Family Planning Restrictions Threaten the Health and Lives of Young People Worldwide

WASHINGTON, DC (May 16, 2001) Advocates for Youth's President, James Wagoner, today calls the vote to strike the repeal of the "global gag rule" the "triumph of politics over the health and lives of one billion young people."

The House of Representatives voted today to strike language from the State Department Authorization Act that would have repealed the "global gag rule." The Republican-controlled House International Relations Committee passed, by a vote of 26-22, an amendment to repeal the "global gag rule" last week. The amendment to the State Department Authorization Act was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and supported by all 23 committee Democrats as well as Republican Representatives Ben Gilman (NY), Jim Leach (IA), and Amo Houghton (NY).

"By upholding the 'global gag rule,' the U.S. is doing untold harm to women and young people around the world," said Wagoner. "It is unconscionable for young people to be barred from access to the critical family planning services they need to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS," said Wagoner.

Mr. Wagoner is not alone in his concerns for the health and well being of young people worldwide. Teens themselves recognize the danger of the "global gag rule."

"When President Bush reinstated the 'global gag rule' on his first full day in office, he restricted the right of free speech, access to family planning, and the ability of all people to live safe and healthy lives," said Mai Pham, a sophomore at George Washington University and a member of the International Youth Leadership Council of Advocates for Youth. "The United States cannot claim to protect when it takes away the ability of my peers worldwide to make responsible choices based on complete information."

Currently, 46 million pregnancies worldwide end in abortion each year. By cutting off critical funding, the "gag rule" not only restricts international family planning organizations from using their own funds to provide safe abortions, but also limits their ability to provide critical family planning services that reduce the need for abortions.

"The ramifications of the 'global gag rule' go far beyond abortion services," said Pham. "The very clinics that are being denied funding from the U.S. are the organizations that provide young people with the critical family planning services they need—information and contraceptives to control the timing and size of their families and to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases."

"The 'global gag rule' forces international family planning organizations to choose between critical U.S. funding and the health of millions of women. Today, Congress could have chosen to repeal the 'global gag rule' and prevent many more of my peers from dying senseless deaths. Instead, it chose to turn its back on young people worldwide," concluded Pham.

Advocates for Youth is an international, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

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Note to Editors and Producers: For more information, or to set up an interview with Youth Council members or international adolescent sexual health experts, please contact Bill Barker at (202) 419-3420.

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