Political Groups Work Toward Consensus on Sexual Health & Public Policy

Wildly divergent political organizations from the left, right, and center, released a consensus report yesterday that aims to define sexual health and a direction for policy research.

Brought together by former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher the group of eighteen organizations, included the Guttmacher Institute, Medical Institute for Sexual Health, Institute for Youth Development, National Minority AIDS Council, Black Women's Health Imperative, National Organization for Women, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

As reported in the Washington Times:

The report, hammered out over nearly two years, identifies the "best" ways to conduct research on sexual matters and defines sexual health and core elements of sex education.

Left unresolved were agreements over what constitutes sexual abstinence, responsible sexual behavior, sexual orientation and "medical accuracy," such as condom efficacy.

Originally, seven more organizations were represented -- Advocates for Youth; National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Concerned Women for America; Traditional Values Coalition; Focus on the Family; Lambda Legal; and Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network -- but they withdrew after a year's worth of meetings for reasons such as personal health and "being fed up" with the process, Dr. Satcher said.

I'm reserving judgment until I can read the report itself, and the fact that the group wasn't able to come to consensus on what "constitutes sexual abstinence, responsible sexual behavior, sexual orientation and 'medical accuracy,' such as condom efficacy" indicates that mountains were not moved, but the fact that this many organizations stuck it out for two years, and that there is a statement at all, is a positive sign, and somewhere to work from.

Read more - Washington Times: Politically divergent group’s call for dialogue about sex