News

Surgeon general resigns in masturbation row

North American editor, BMJ.

America's chief doctor resigned last week after saying that masturbation could be an appropriate subject to teach schoolchildren. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was asked to go by President Bill Clinton after she angered conservatives by discussing the possibility of encouraging masturbation to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Her remarks were made at an AIDS meeting held by the United Nations in New York.

Elders, who is 61, has been outspoken on public health since she was appointed nearly two years ago. She suggested handing out free condoms in schools and criticised the Catholic church. In 1992 she told abortion opponents to "get over their love affair with the fetus." The next year she said, "Look at who's fighting the pro-choice movement: a celibate male dominated church." She has been especially vocal about the relation of poor public health to poverty.

Her tone has alienated conservatives, especially Republicans, and many say that the recent election had placed her job in jeopardy, since Clinton now must deal with a Republican majority in Congress. According to media reports, Clinton and his close aides had warned Elders to refrain from "controversial topics."

But at the UN meeting earlier this month she was asked whether masturbation should be encouraged as a way to prevent infectious diseases. "As to your specific question in regard to masturbation, I think that is something that is a part of human sexuality, and it is part of something that perhaps should be taught," she answered. "But we've not even taught our children the very basics. I feel that we have tried ignorance for a very long time, and it is time we try education."

When Clinton was told of her statement last week he reportedly said, "She must resign." She did resign, but Clinton's top aide said that if she had refused "she would have been fired."

The surgeon general is the highest ranking doctor in the US, and the role is that of chief public health officer. In years past the job was fairly non-controversial, with the exception of the surgeon general's reports on tobacco in the early 1960s.

But during the Reagan administration, C Everett Koop, a conservative paediatric surgeon, was appointed and soon created a whole new role for the surgeon general. He took public positions favouring sex education and condoms for teenagers, arguing that he had to put public health before politics. Koop was quietly pushed out of the government, and Dr Elders's attempt to emulate his style led to her public downfall last week. Her departure has been met with bitter criticism from gay rights organisations and abortion rights groups.--JOHN ROBERTS

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?