CDC Fact Sheet Not Promoting Condom Use Anymore

A government fact sheet that long promoted condoms as "highly effective" in preventing HIV and other STDs now offers a more neutral summary of the pros and cons of condom use, and Congressional Democrats charge that politics are trumping science. They also note that a National Cancer Institute fact sheet now says the evidence regarding a link between abortion and breast cancer is not clear; until this summer, it said women who had abortions face no increased risk of breast cancer.

The alterations and deletions "appear to be a part of an Orwellian trend at HHS," Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and 13 other Democrats said in a letter Wednesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. "Simply put, information that used to be based on science is being systematically removed from the public when it conflicts with the administration's political agenda." HHS officials say the revisions are consistent with the science and deny any political interference.

The condom fact sheet on the CDC Web site had said that refraining from sex was the best way to avoid HIV and other STDs, and it added: "But for those who have sexual intercourse, latex condoms are highly effective when used consistently and correctly." The revised version says that condoms "can reduce the risk of STD transmission. However, no protective method is 100 percent effective, and condom use cannot guarantee absolute protection against any STD." It explains that condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV, but that there is no evidence condoms prevent transmission of human papillomavirus.

Given the mixed evidence, CDC opted for a more neutral introduction to the fact sheet, said Dr. David Fleming, CDC’s deputy director for science. "This fact sheet is designed to be as scientifically accurate as possible," he said. "We specifically tried not to nuance it in the direction either of encouraging or discouraging use of condoms. The interpretation really is in the eyes of the beholder." Fleming said the fact sheet was written with the help of people at HHS headquarters, but said he stands by it from a scientific point of view.

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