Surgeon general was 'gagged by White House'

[Ann]

Well, ain't that a surprise! 

For years now, I've been advising posters in the Am I forum that the information on hiv given out by the CDC is not, for the most part, based in science and has a heavy moral/religious bias that comes straight from the White House.

And now I've got the backing of Dr. Richard Carmona, the surgeon general during 2002 - 2006.

During a nine-month trial of the US tobacco industry, Dr Carmona was heavily leant upon not to testify. The same went for sex education: "However, there was already a policy in place that did not want to hear the science but wanted to preach abstinence only, but I felt that was scientifically incorrect," he said.

Read the whole sad story here

Ann

[dixieman]

When? has the surgeon general never been gagged... under all administrations and particulary this one its a given...

[redhotmuslbear]

For years now, I've been advising posters in the Am I forum that the information on hiv given out by the CDC is not, for the most part, based in science and has a heavy moral/religious bias that comes straight from the White House.

Ann,

What on the CDC site, specifically, do you find not science-based?  The "how can I get HIV?" page appears very factual and without religious bias:

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm

Heck, it even has a link for "Men who have sex with men" 

Cheers,
David

[Iggy]

Ann,

What on the CDC site, specifically, do you find not science-based?  The "how can I get HIV?" page appears very factual and without religious bias:

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm

Heck, it even has a link for "Men who have sex with men" 

Cheers,
David

I think an interesting example is this from the CDC:

    * Get tested for HIV
          o If you are a man who has had sex with other men, get tested at least once a year.
          o If you are a woman who is planning to get pregnant or who is pregnant, get tested as soon as possible, before you have your baby.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm#risk

Notice what they advise as a reasons to get tested - men who have sex with men and women who want to have a baby.  If you look on the link you will notice those are the ONLY two sub bullet point reasons suggesting a reason to get tested.

So apparently hetero people who just have sex but don't want a baby are at no risk....or maybe it is the assumption that if a man has sex with another man he MUST be having unprotected sex and therefor at risk, but hetero people don't sleep around and always use condoms or should have no reason to use condoms?

And where do they come up with the "once a year" thing for men who have sex with men? What about the fact that they advise women to get tested before having the baby but don't include a little tidbit about getting themselves and their partner tested before having any unprotected sex in order to conceive. That's just plain dead wrong and certainly isn't science based.

I'm sure there are many other examples on the site but I found that section in about 2 seconds and think it gives a perfect example of what Ann (who sees first hand in the Am I infected section) is trying to say about Gov't misinformation (through either misleading info or just omission) is a serious problem for getting people to know the facts and protect themselves against HIV

MODIFIED: I just realized that the bullet points I quote are actually part of a section entitled: "If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, consider the following:"

Which makes the whole neglect to mention hetero sex even more damning - Is it just gay men, and (methinks single) women who wish to be preggers sluts?

I guess Bush Jr, still hates what Murphy Brown did to his Daddy.

[JPinLA]

I agree entirely that the surgeon general post and the statements and policy that come through that office first must pass through the current political filter (i.e. whatever administration is in place..).

This is evident by the structure of the office itself where the surgeon general has little authority and reports to the health secretary (a NON medical or science based administrator). Anything this guy says has to be OKs first by the administration.

While I do see a fair amount of thoughtful science coming out of the CDC, I do also agree that means of delivery and the timing of delivery of information is very politically based (and in the current administration and many others I liken politically with morality and religious belief).

JP (who is a scientist and is skeptical of government-based scientific findings)

[jack]

as the WSJ pointed out this morning,other Surgeon Generals have spoken out when they felt they were being controlled by administration. The two most recent are Koop and Elders. Elders was fired for going against Clinton admin. Every administration sets the agenda,and the head of any agency or office can disagree publicly with the president or administration. Apparently this guy never felt very strong about it or conflicted during his tenure. The book is on the way. This guy should have had the guts or balls to say or do something while he was in the office. How can you have any respect for a person like this? Its like the co worker who never speaks up in meeting or disagrees with anything you do,and then the minute he leaves he is stabbing you in the back. Gutless.
Many of Ws appointees have stood up and opposed him, some lost their job for it, some didnt.

[thunter34]

And as it should be!  I remember the public outcry when Elders advocated masturbation as a sexual outlet.  This country might have been faced with epidemics of blindness and hairy palms.  A health crisis narrowly averted.

[RapidRod]

Who was the lady Surgeon General that was dismissed for promoting the use of condoms and safer sex?

edited to add I found my answer. Joycely Elders.. (Bill Clinton caused her demise from office.)

[J.R.E.]

Ann,

Thanks for that article. I believe I had managed to catch some of Richard Carmona testimony on ( I believe) C-span. Or maybe it was one of the local news networks !
 
Ray

[Iggy]

Kind of makes this story all the more understandable:

A Surgeon General that Cures Gays?

Bush's most recent nomination is a fellow named James Holsinger. What better choice for Surgeon General then a fellow who has that founded a church. Oh... It's a church that cures the gays. Here Amy Goodman from Democracy Now discusses James Holsinger.

http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/07/12/a-surgeon-general-that-cures-gays/

Modified:

I thought this was interesting too: "Bush's own former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, along with Reagan's Surgeon General C.Everett Koop and Clinton's Surgeon General David Satcher all testified before Congress that the Bush Administrations' meddling in science policy is the worst they've ever seen."

[Robert]

iggy....

thanks for that incredibly insightful response.  One day,  in a galaxy far, far away, I could have found those lapses or omissions myself.  Alas, no mare.  As our friend Stella says, I rely on the kindness of strangers to get me through the morass of BS thrown in my face everyday.  I get so confused.

robert

(who really does not consider Iggy a stranger)

[J.R.E.]

Lou Dobbs is where I saw segments of the testi mony :


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-19iXl5os


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQG4Bpp9ccQ&mode=related&search=


Ray

[BT65]

Nothing about Bush surprises me anymore.  I quit being surprised about six months after he was president.

[libvet]

Nothing about Bush surprises me anymore.  I quit being surprised about six months after he was president.

It's called outrage fatigue.  I know certain right wingers think that the Clinton administration was corrupt, but the Bush administration (which promised to restore openness, honestly, and integrity to the White House) makes the Clinton administration look like Dudley Doo-right.

[Matty the Damned]

Matty the Damned was once gagged by a surgeon. He doesn't know if he was a general as well. He may have been, he certainly had a uniform thing going on. He was very generous with his prescription pad too . . .

Ah. Good times.

MtD

[Lisa]

LOL @ Dudley Doo-Right     libvet made me spew my water on the keyboard!

I have to agree with the idea of outrage fatigue. I am entirely disgusted with this administration, and the choke hold it maintains on every aspect of human existance in this country. I've had it!

[Jeffreyj]

This just shows how f-ed up George Bush is. I could not mention condoms when speaking with school kids about HIV prevention.

I repeat, I could not mention condoms when speaking with school kids about HIV prevention.


Un-fuck-ing-believe-able.....

George you can't suck enough. Please resign. Please...please...please...

Please
Please
Please