Bush and Christianists Stymied HIV Research

Science and medical advances should never be subverted by extremist religious dogma, but sadly it seems that this is precisely what has occurred under the Chimperator and his Christianist hacks who were placed in positions in government. These set backs happened on many fronts and perhaps most significantly in the area of HIV and AIDS research. Frankly, I suspect that the Christianists would be happy to see ever gay in the country die of AIDS. Hopefully, this sick practice will be corrected under the incoming Obama administration. Here are highlights from the Financial Times:

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Important US research to reduce HIV infection may have been prevented in recent years because scientists have censored their funding requests in response to political controversy, according to a study published on Tuesday. Writing in PLoS Medicine, the academic journal, Joanna Kempner from Rutgers University identified a “chilling effect” on researchers seeking grants from the government-backed National Institutes of Health after their work was questioned by Republican lawmakers and Christian groups.

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The findings suggest politics influence scientists’ willingness to conduct research, and raise warnings at a time of continued sensitivity over medical research topics from sexual behaviour to stem cells.

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Among 82 researchers polled by Ms Kempner, who had received money from the NIH, almost a quarter had dropped or reframed studies around sexual behaviour they judged to be politically sensitive, and four had made career changes and left academia as a result of the controversy. Half reframed their studies to avoid work on marginalised populations, or dropped studies they thought would be politically sensitive, such as those on sexual orientation, abortion, childhood sexual abuse, and condom use.

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Almost four-fifths believed NIH funding decisions had become more political under President George W. Bush than under his predecessor Bill Clinton, and more than a third believed they were less likely to receive NIH funding as a result of the controversy.

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Bottom line: the Chimperator and his minions have cost countless lives between the needless deaths in Iraq and deaths that might have been prevented had research not been stymied. What is particularly disconcerting is that the Chimperator seems utterly oblivious to the deaths and damage he has caused.