Ellen Brilliant

More than half my life has been dedicated to advocating for reproductive health services and rights for women and their families.  I cut my teeth on the issues serving as Vice President for Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. During my decade-long tenure, I was responsible for the organization’s multi-state government, media, and community relations programs. Leading a strong coalition, we — against the odds and polling numbers –defeated three anti-choice ballot initiatives and numerous legislative bills.

Dobson Not Satisfied with White House Despite Activity in States

Ellen Brilliant

[img_assist|nid=154|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=68|height=100]With the recent banning of abortion in South Dakota and 11 other states following suit, Focus on the Family seems publicly invigorated by the news, “pro-lifers have good reason to be hopeful.” Privately, Daily Kos reports Dobson is whipping the White House to do more. Quoting Dobson, "There's just very, very little to show for what has happened and I think there's going to be some trouble down the road if they don't get on the ball," referring to the paultry successes the far right has won for its loyalty to the Bush White House.

More On CDC Censoring Sex Ed

Ellen Brilliant

Not for the topics presented, but increasingly more controversial is the follow-up to the CDC’s National STD Prevention Conference. It’s yet another blatant illustration of how some on the right favor ideology over scientific data.

In an attempt to get to the bottom of last-minute conference changes, Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) demanded an explanation from the Administration today. He states, “In effect, it appears presentations at a public health conference were censored because they criticized abstinence-only education. This attempt at thought control should have no place in our government.”

It’s Not Sex Education If You Don’t Talk About Sex…

Ellen Brilliant

It’s not sex education if you don’t talk about sex, and STIs won’t be prevented if scientifically-based discussions on prevention are prohibited. But before CDC's National STD Prevention Conference next week has even begun, the research-based, biannual meeting has been commandeered by anti-sex education ideologues.

According to Slate Magazine, “The conference was supposed to include a symposium designed to explore how abstinence-only sex education may undermine other efforts to reduce STDs.”

Church Waits For True Love, Developing World Starts Prevention Now

Ellen Brilliant

Despite the pope not yet taking a position as to whether married couples can use condoms when one partner is infected with HIV/AIDS, his followers are standing up and speaking out. Claiming it just makes common sense to lift this ban under the specific circumstances, Scotland’s Archbishop of Glasgow publicly stated his support for the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers’ “study on the use of condoms to fight AIDS.” Others in the Catholic Church urging the pope to lead on this issue include: Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the retired archbishop from Milan, Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels and Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan of Mexico. Summarizing it best, Jon Fuller, a Jesuit AIDS physician, states "Ever since the AIDS epidemic came on the scene, we recognize that what's at issue in this case is not simply preventing conception but actually saving life."

Vatican Talks Details, Progress in Developing World

Ellen Brilliant

The Vatican “dialogue” on condoms rages on – and one can only hope the pope is talking about the issue as much as the rest of the world. "The Vatican is like a submarine. On this one, it has put up its periscope, looked around and submerged again," said the Rev. James Keenan. For the church, the issue at-hand is deciding which is the “lesser of two evils”: the “theoretical possibility of preventing life with condoms has to be weighed against the statistical probability of losing millions of lives without them.