Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Dutch taxpayers fund sex therapy sessions Date: Tue, 27 Oct 92 13:27:07 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD Dutch taxpayers fund sex therapy sessions \BY Lance Gay \CR SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE \DT AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM - Immigrants flooding Western Europe in search of the good life now have an added incentive for heading to the Netherlands - government-subsidized sex therapy. Dutch Public Health Secretary Elske Ter Veld last week gave the green light to red-light sessions for people on welfare. She said she "can't rule out situations" in which local governments will be required to pick up the costs. Miss Ter Veld's decision came after the Dutch Council of State ruled that an Amsterdam-area municipality must contribute $35 in welfare benefits toward the $100 tab for an unidentified 31-year-old handicapped man to have monthly visits from a "sexual aid worker." A psychologist prescribed the sessions, saying it would perk up the handicapped man. The ruling caused a minor furor. Other municipalities protested that it sets a costly legal precedent. The Netherlands, which has generous welfare benefits, has already attracted a flood of immigrants from Eastern Europe and Africa. Miss Ter Veld said that regional health authorities have the legal right to decide if welfare payments are justified "for professional sexual relief" and that the municipalities that fund welfare programs have no choice but to pay the bills as they do for any other professional services. Associations representing the handicapped hailed the ruling, saying it's difficult for the impoverished confined to long-term health centers to find sex partners. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM