On July 28th, The Human Rights Campaign called for a renewed
national commitment to comprehensive science-based HIV/AIDS prevention
efforts in light of new findings from the CDC indicating HIV infections
among gay and bisexual men rose 7.1 percent from 2001 to 2002. HIV
diagnoses for gay and bisexual men have increased by 17.7 percent since
the lowest point in 1999.
"These numbers are a national tragedy and should be seen as a wake-up
call that we need a swift and sweeping national commitment to a
comprehensive science-based prevention plan to combat HIV/AIDS in this
country," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "The
administration has consistently favored abstinence-only programs over
comprehensive science-based approaches and it is clearly not working.
Without a change in direction, we are likely to keep falling further and
further behind."
With nearly half of new infections occurring in gay and bisexual men,
HIV is disproportionately impacting the gay community. In its strategic
plan, the CDC recognizes that homophobia adversely impacts prevention
efforts. Consequently, it identifies the need to develop and implement
HIV-prevention programs for gay and bisexual men, particularly within
communities of color.
"The federal government is now giving more than $100 million a year to
states to teach abstinence-only until marriage education. The percentage
of public schools replacing comprehensive sex-ed with abstinence-only
education has gone from 2 percent 10 years ago to 25 percent today,"
said Stachelberg. "While abstinence should be taught as a viable option
as part of a comprehensive sex-ed program, we have a national obligation
and a responsibility to provide our children with a broad base of
knowledge so they can effectively protect themselves from HIV. Beyond
that, abstinence-until marriage programs do not address the needs of gay
and lesbian youth who are not currently permitted marry in this
country."
"The AIDS epidemic in the United States is far from over," said Dr.
Harold Jaffe, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB
prevention, in a statement on the report. "While effective treatments
are crucial in our fight against HIV, preventing infection in the first
place is still the only true protection against the serious and fatal
consequences of this disease."
Past estimates have indicated that up to one-third of those infected
with HIV do not know their HIV status. The CDC did caution that the
study may reflect increases in HIV testing as well as potential
increases in new infections.
"It's possible the newly released numbers demonstrate a more accurate
sample because of increased testing; meaning that what appears to be a
jump in infections may in fact be a more precise reflection of the HIV
infection rate," said Stachelberg.
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