AIDS Fight Needs More From Helms

"A frail and repentant Jesse Helms has finally had an epiphany on the horrors of the AIDS epidemic. As the retiring North Carolina senator looks toward his legacy, he acknowledges that he was wrong to withhold US funds from developing countries struggling to combat the disease.

"Helms' last-minute mea culpa has set the stage for a dramatic increase in foreign aid to nations now overwhelmed by the plague, especially African countries. With help from Democrats such as House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), who has long hectored his congressional colleagues for more money to fight AIDS globally, Helms has launched a bipartisan effort that may increase the US contribution to global AIDS funding to $1.3 billion, the highest level ever.

"...Just after his inauguration, President Bush placated abortion foes by reasserting the "gag rule" prohibiting US funds to any global family planning organization that so much as mentions the word 'abortion.' As a result, a group that uses its own funds to perform abortions cannot receive US money to counsel women about spacing their children or to provide condoms, birth control pills or Depo-Provera.

"...Bush's actions guarantee that desperately poor women will be denied access to condoms, and, as a result, many will become infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Thousands will bear children already infected with HIV in-utero. Even with increased funds for AIDS treatment, there will not be enough money to provide antivirals to all of those mothers and babies.

"It would make much more sense to give those mothers contraceptives. After all, one of the best ways to decrease the number of abortions is to increase the availability of birth control. Before he leaves the Senate, Helms ought to get religion on this issue as well.

"...If Helms is sincere about repairing some of the damage he has done, he ought to take another look at the link between good family planning efforts and preventing the spread of AIDS. Without family planning programs, AIDS prevention is simply impossible."

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