PBS NEWSMAGAZINE 'NOW' EXAMINES CONTROVERSY AROUND THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S GLOBAL HIV/AIDS POLICY
PRESS RELEASE:
New York, October 25, 2005 -- In an upcoming television special, the award-winning PBS newsmagazine NOW examines the role of Christian faith-based organizations in the implementation of the Bush administration's $15 billion global AIDS initiative. “Global Health: America’s Response,” airing Friday, November 4, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), examines the controversy around groups which don’t believe condoms are effective in reducing HIV prevalence. In fact, the groups argue that condoms contribute to promiscuity. The program looks at how, buoyed by the fact that a large portion of U.S. money in President Bush’s plan is set aside for teaching abstinence, these groups promote “abstinence-only” programs, which downplay or ignore the importance of condoms in HIV prevention.
“The Bush plan is historic and an extraordinary step forward in the war on AIDS,” says NOW Executive Producer John Siceloff. “This documentary examines what some believe are strings attached at a time when the world’s most successful programs have proven that condoms must be part of the prevention initiative to stem the spread of the virus. The film asks, ‘are these programs an attempt to push the moral vision of conservative Christians, Bush's base, on the world?’”
The one-hour documentary examines the U.S.’s HIV/AIDS policy from its beginning in the early 1980s through President Bush’s historic plan, which has been hailed as a milestone in addressing the world’s AIDS crisis. The program takes viewers on the ground in Uganda—considered one of the few success stories in the developing world in slowing the spread of the virus. NOW examines Uganda’s successful three-pronged approach, which has become known as ABC: “Abstinence,” “Be faithful,” and “Condom use,” assesses its success and looks at the credibility of arguments for and against teaching “abstinence-only.”
Preview cassettes of “Global Health: America’s Response” are available by request to members of the press.
PRESS CONTACTS: Rick Byrne, NOW, Ph: 212/560-8406, Email: ByrneR@thirteen.org
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New York, October 25, 2005 -- In an upcoming television special, the award-winning PBS newsmagazine NOW examines the role of Christian faith-based organizations in the implementation of the Bush administration's $15 billion global AIDS initiative. “Global Health: America’s Response,” airing Friday, November 4, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), examines the controversy around groups which don’t believe condoms are effective in reducing HIV prevalence. In fact, the groups argue that condoms contribute to promiscuity. The program looks at how, buoyed by the fact that a large portion of U.S. money in President Bush’s plan is set aside for teaching abstinence, these groups promote “abstinence-only” programs, which downplay or ignore the importance of condoms in HIV prevention.
“The Bush plan is historic and an extraordinary step forward in the war on AIDS,” says NOW Executive Producer John Siceloff. “This documentary examines what some believe are strings attached at a time when the world’s most successful programs have proven that condoms must be part of the prevention initiative to stem the spread of the virus. The film asks, ‘are these programs an attempt to push the moral vision of conservative Christians, Bush's base, on the world?’”
The one-hour documentary examines the U.S.’s HIV/AIDS policy from its beginning in the early 1980s through President Bush’s historic plan, which has been hailed as a milestone in addressing the world’s AIDS crisis. The program takes viewers on the ground in Uganda—considered one of the few success stories in the developing world in slowing the spread of the virus. NOW examines Uganda’s successful three-pronged approach, which has become known as ABC: “Abstinence,” “Be faithful,” and “Condom use,” assesses its success and looks at the credibility of arguments for and against teaching “abstinence-only.”
Preview cassettes of “Global Health: America’s Response” are available by request to members of the press.
PRESS CONTACTS: Rick Byrne, NOW, Ph: 212/560-8406, Email: ByrneR@thirteen.org
