Friday, October 18, 2013
UNFPA Chapter 8
The UNFPA is an organization that works to promote family planning maternal health, and newborn survival. In 1969 President Nixon was a strong supporter of UNFPA. The United States was the biggest donor to them at one point. In the 1980s the UNFPA was targeted by antiabortion activist because they supposedly gave China advise on population issues. First Ronald Reagan reduced the funds then both of the "Bushes" got rid of the funding period. The UNFPA didn't have anything to do with China's abuses. UNFPA actually came up with the Copper T, which is a better type of IUD. UNFPA has prevented nearly 10 million abortions in China. Family planning programs are also working to prevent Aids and HIV. Women are twice likely to be infected than men.George W. Bush announced that the United States would withhold $34 million that would go to UNFPA. George W. Bush started the abstinence only program. Bush's program believes in talking about no sex instead of telling them that abstinence is the safes way, but condoms also prevent Aids and HIV also. He restricted the talk of how condoms are used in schools in Africa. Studies shows that this program halted sex but when these kids did have sex they more likely did not use protection. The result was more pregnancies, more abortions, and more sexually transmitted disease. Also the women that did use protection was contracting HIV from their husbands. In 2009 Obama announced that he was refunding the program.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is a perfect example of how not talking about sex doesn't work. Sex is not something people can ignore and have it go away. Obviously the abstinence only approach led to less education and did not account for the fact that people have sex and it is not realistic to expect everyone to follow an abstinence only lifestyle. Casting a blind eye to the situation of STD's is not the answer, more education on the subject is. In Africa, along with all other parts of the world, educators need to inform students on how to use condoms so they don't transmit life threatening diseases. If people don't know the risks when they have sex, diseases and unwanted pregnancies are going to continue and get worse. I am happy to hear that the program is being refunded because more sex and health education is needed not less.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those topics in which it's easy to see things in a black and white perspective. Either the UNFPA is doing great things in the battle against unwanted pregnancies, STD's and maternal health issues or it's promoting abortion and pre-marital sex. As a Catholic myself, I can see the problems that staunch, conservative Republicans would have with supporting such an organization but it's also unreasonable to believe that a "Don't have sex. It's bad." perspective is very realistic. Whether it be for his own religious convictions or fear of political backlash, Bush chose to remove the U.S. as backers of the program without looking at it in it's entirety. It's a shame that those in Africa (who were so far removed from the abortion issue in China) were the ones who most suffered from the loss of funding. Much like our recent government shutdown, I think in the future Washington needs to look at the pros and cons of the decisions it makes and decide what is to gain and what (who) stands to lose at the cost of their often narrow view of right and wrong. It's shameful to think of the lives that could have been changed and saved before funding was eventually reinstated.
ReplyDeleteUNFPA helped a lot of people with protecting their rights. I think the best way to help with the victims is to educate all population about the knowledge. So there will be less victims, and the victims will protect themselves instead of "being protected". I want to say that China is different. Almost one-forth of the population in the world are Chinese. Due to the one child policy, abortion is legal in China. This is the negative part of my own country, but I would like to share it: I read a news last year. Someone from the government forced an 8-month pregnant woman to the hospital for abortion, because she had already had a child. People were so angry with what the government did during that period of time. The baby could be born in two month, but the government still wanted to kill him because of the policy. I think they should educate people not to get pregnant if they really need the one child policy.
ReplyDeleteI was happy that Obama re-opened UNFPA because it is so important that everyone understands how you can make sure you are safe because now a days people don't use abstinence anymore. I just cannot believe the Bushs would stop it. Even George W. Bush has daughters I would think he would want them to be educated about sex and how to protect yourself from AIDS and HIV. I understand Reagan pulled back the amount they were giving to them, but closing it down completely. I wonder if they did not close it down if people who have it, would not have it now because they got educated about ways to protect themselves? Obama did the right thing these children need to know what can happen if they have unprotected sex.
ReplyDeleteI have really never understood why the government has so much control over sex education, abortion, and birth control/condoms. It makes no sense to me, and I personally feel that everyone should be educated and have comfortable access to all forms of birth control. Especially in America I am baffled by the fact that safe sex education can be shunned,and that it can be so hard to get birth control. I recently ran into a personal problem my birth control prescription ran up and my doctor refused to call in an extra months worth of the prescription. I have never missed a feminine exam and I explained that I have been in a committed relationship for 4 years, she still refused to call in my prescription. I could not believe that it was so hard to get the pills, I could not make an appointment til weeks later. I don't understand why birth control is not sold over the counter like cold medicine. It comes with directions and cautionary like every other over the counter drug. What are your thoughts on why it is not sold over the counter.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to have and learn about sex education. In these other countries (even in US) a lot of people do not know the dangers and consequences of having sex. Bush's program was a great idea and I am glad that Obama is re-opening it. We don't really think too much about how having sex can change our lives, but with these stories and examples it really opens your eyes and makes it, honestly a little frightening. I know that the government has a purpose and that the things they do are (sometimes) for a good reason, its just sad how the opinion of a couple people can ruin something or ignore something very important. I feel like if everyone was learning about HALF the stuff we have learn in this class so far, it would really open up their eyes, I know it has mine.
ReplyDeleteI have never had to use planned parent hood but I know many people who have gone there. I think it is an amazing organization to help women. Bush's idea seems so useless to me (which it proved to be). Talking about not having sex doesn't just make people not have sex. People need to be informed and educated on the issue. Obama's idea actually seems way more real and helpful. Telling people how they can be safe will help people be safe. A lot of the not being safe is because people don't know how. Planned parenthood is another thing to help educate and just help in general which is a great thing for women.
ReplyDeleteI have gone to planned parenthood in the past for birth control when I didn't have insurance. They did everything possible to make getting my birth control convenient and I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had the option of going there. It makes me sad to see them constantly under attack in the media, because they do so much good for women. I found it very said that president Bush created the gag order and pushed for abstinence only sex education in schools. It is not fair to push your personal beliefs on the entire country or rather world as he cut off funding to UNFPA in many countries. Very rarely do adults get to "have their cake and eat it too" and abortion and sex education is a prime example of that, it will never go exactly as we personally think it should. However if we truly want to help others, we must start making compromises and working together to actually make a difference, instead of playing a morally charged game of tug-a-war with the resources available to women in need.
ReplyDeleteHey Morgan, your post made me wonder about that too since I know prescriptions can be quite a hassle so I did a little research and its definitely an interesting facet to the discussion. I could quickly tell what "side" the articles were on but the gist was that it needs to be prescribed by a doctor to force you to do that, go see a doctor. Its a way for them to do all the other tests and education about women's health and even though those are important they aren't relevant to taking the pill. A big roadblock for a lot of women is accessibility and having it be over the counter would prevent a lot of pregnancies since women could just go pick it up and it wouldn't be a big deal. But what about side effects?? Birth control is one of the most tested pharmaceuticals ever and is incredibly safe overall and would still come with warning labels like other drugs. Tylenol and other over the counter drugs have worse side effects and yet you don't need a prescription for them. I personally think it shouldn't need a prescription but should come with all the important information you need to know about it and obviously your doctor can recommend the best type but overall I think access is most important.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about the positive effect that UNFPA has, I was glad to read that Obama has reinstated the funding. Education is the key factor in helping young girls as well as boys, the consequences of having early, unprotected sex. Bush’s plan, the abstinence only approach, proved that not talking about sex and the consequences of it only led to more sexually transmitted diseases, more pregnancies, more abortions, and more AIDS. Although there is evidence that abstinence only education is helpful, it needs to be used with education about female contraception, condoms, and reproductive health to truly have an impact.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why girls get pregnant in high school by accident. The system could do so much more to help women, and instead they preach abstinence in the hopes that if they ignore the problem, it will go away. They are afraid to "endorse" sex by offering help to those who are committing the act. But the problem is that teenagers are going to do it whether or not it is endorsed. My high school has a strict abstinence policy. That meant that even if a student asked for help, even if they said that they were going to have sex either way and they just needed some protection so that they didn't get an STD or get pregnant, the school couldn't do anything other than tell them not to have sex at all. If people would acknowledge the problem for what it is, there would be much fewer unplanned pregnancies.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of abortion, I simply think of murder. To think that a person will use and has the option of using abortion as a form of birth control is appalling. Now I understand victims of rape, complications with the pregnancy, or if it is unsafe for the mom to deliver the baby, but just for a woman to rid herself of her carelessness should not be an option. This country is already in a state of depression from the apparent deficit, and Medicaid is a contributing factor. Medicaid should be used for just that, medicine for the sick. To ask if the government should have a say, I would reply that the taxpayers should have a final say, after all it is our money that pays for the Medicaid.
ReplyDeleteI think reinstating the funding to the UNFPA is a good way to help educate and prevent many issues relating to health and birth issues. It's hard to convey thoughts and options through an "abstinence" only program. Unfortunately I believe that the defunding was due to political and personal opinions rather than what would be good to do for the human race in general. People will continue to have sex regardless, we are programmed this way and its instinctual. I feel as though I'm beating a dead horse but programs that educate the people of today in hopes of a better tomorrow are desperately needed in society. Education is the one thing that can never be taken away from someone and should always be available and funded to those who seek it.
ReplyDelete