Tennessee Doctor To Be Surgeon General

Dr. Henry Foster Jr., a medical school leader known for fighting teenage pregnancy in Tennessee, is President Clinton’s choice for surgeon general, officials said Wednesday.

Foster, 61, former acting president of a predominantly black medical school, would replace Dr. Joycelyn Elders, an outspoken Arkansas pediatrician who was fired in December after saying schoolchildren should be taught about masturbation. The Senate must confirm his nomination.

White House aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the announcement is scheduled for today. They said Foster would lead a national campaign to combat teenage pregnancy.

Foster founded Meharry Medical College’s “I Have a Future” program, aimed at delaying sexual activity among teenagers by building their selfesteem, developing job skills and teaching sexual responsibility, self-control and how to deal with conflicts in relationships.

The program, operating out of two Nashville housing projects, also offers comprehensive health services, emphasizing primary health care, physical exams, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy tests and the distribution of contraceptives.