Scientific Information on Condoms, Abortion Should Not Be ‘Twisted by Politics,’ Boston Globe Editorial Says
A Boston Globe editorial asks if the decision to change two federal public health Web sites in order to "conform more with conservative social ideology" based on "science or ... politics?" The Bush administration reportedly removed and altered medical information, such as information on proper condom use and information on the alleged connection between breast cancer and abortion, on the CDC and National Cancer Institute Web sites. The editorial says that the "theme is fear: Live the proper lifestyle or else." The "troubling" political message of the Web site alterations is that "the government has ways of censoring science," the editorial says, adding that "Americans deserve ... rigorous scientific information that is clearly presented." The editorial adds that the public "needs an education in sorting out the countless studies that have created a galaxy of sometimes conflicting conclusions about health and healthy choices," including the consequences of sex. The editorial concludes, "Science keeps uncovering amazing fountains of knowledge. These insights shouldn't be dimmed or twisted by politics" (Boston Globe, 1/17).
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