Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503070009
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID NOVA
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Foster is the creator of the highly successful ``I Have a Future'' program at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. The much-acclaimed program stresses job skills, personal responsibility, education and self-control. The program, initially designed for teen-agers in Nashville's tough housing projects, is predicated on the notion that teen-agers focused on future goals and commitments are less likely to sacrifice those goals by engaging in risky behaviors. An article in The Tennessean quoted teen-agers praising that program for teaching them ``how to be in relationships ... and not necessarily have sexual intercourse.''
The success of the program led President George Bush to recognize Foster as one of America's ``Thousand Points of Light.'' During the program's first four years, there was only one unintended pregnancy among the participants. By comparison, there were 59 such pregnancies in a similar group of young people who didn't participate.
Foster, an African-American, has an uncanny gift to communicate with young people of all backgrounds in a manner that engages and inspires them. Many teen-agers in his program are among thousands of children that he delivered during his many years as an obstetrician.
He performed 39 abortions, only after the procedure was legalized in 1973. He also supervised a pharmaceutical testing program in which 55 additional women terminated pregnancies. Again, these were legal abortions. Finally, of the 485 hysterectomies performed by him between 1963 and 1973, four were performed on severely mentally retarded women for sterilization and hygienic reasons. Though that might be considered controversial today, it was a common and accepted medical practice at that time.
Foster teaches that the only guarantee against pregnancy is through abstinence, which he stresses in his program. He also provides complete and accurate information about sexuality and contraceptives, for he understands that not all young people will heed his advice. In 1993, he wrote: ``In America, we live in an open society, which is as it should be. In this environment of openness, our young people are bombarded with sexual messages through the media virtually from the time they arise in the morning until they retire at night. Yet, elements in our open society seek to deny providing our young people the educational basis to protect themselves from the negative effects of these media messages.'' He understands that there are no silver bullets to eradicate sexual activity among teen-agers. This was as true 40 years ago as it is today. (The teen birth rate in America was considerably higher in the '50s than it is in the '90s - a fact Thomas has yet to address.)
Thomas merely passes judgment on Foster: He is bad. No information necessary. End of discussion. Not surprisingly, Thomas offers a similar approach to sexuality education: Teen-age sex is bad. No information necessary. End of discussion.
Should people be given complete and accurate factual information about a nominee for surgeon general before passing judgment? Of course. Should sexuality education address the realities of our children's lives, and prepare them to make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive health? Absolutely. More than half the high-school students in America are sexually active. Stressing that abstinence is the best choice is essential. Stating that it's the only choice is unrealistic and irresponsible.
As Thomas does note, the majority of teen births result from teen-age girls having sex with adult men in their early 20s. Many of these girls are victims of statutory rape. Thomas concludes that because of this phenomenon, the type of sexuality education offered by Planned Parenthood or by programs such as ``I Have a Future'' is an ``utter failure,'' presumably because sexuality education provides information to ``peer schoolboy partners'' and not to ``post-high-school adult men.''
However, Planned Parenthood sees this as evidence for comprehensive sexuality education for teen-agers. If teen-age boys receiving sex education are fathering fewer teen births than adult males not receiving such education, then perhaps sex education is resulting in more responsible behavior. A study by the World Heath Organization found that sexuality-education programs don't encourage sexual activity in young people. Instead, they lead to longer postponement of first intercourse, safer sex and fewer unintended pregnancies.
It's precisely because some adult men are sexual predators that adolescents should be armed with accurate, unbiased information about sexuality. Young girls need to be given the tools to repel adult men's sexual advances.
The phenomenon of adult men having sex with adolescent girls is difficult to remedy because the adult male population is often difficult to reach. This is in part why Planned Parenthood conducts education programs for young adults. In fact, most of our educational programs aren't directed at public-school systems.
Planned Parenthood is doing everything it can to provide comprehensive, accurate and age-appropriate information to all sectors of the public. If lack of information can cause people to make a poor decision regarding a nominee for surgeon general, imagine the damage that's done when young, uninformed women make poor decisions about their health and sexuality.
Anyone considering the facts about Foster would agree that he's an extraordinarily well-qualified and deserving nominee.
David Nova is public-affairs director for Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge, Inc.
by CNB