COUNTERPUNCH LETTERS : Teenagers Need Accurate Data on AIDS

In the Dec. 11 article taking The Times to task for its coverage of an AIDS-related event, the author said that the largest group of AIDS cases was now heterosexual teens (“Where’s a Times Reviewer When You Need One?,” Calendar).

I checked on TimesLink to look at the most recent articles about official Centers for Disease Control statistics on AIDS, and those articles all said that adult homosexuals were the largest group, followed by intravenous drug users.

If anyone wonders why more and more young people aren’t heeding “safe sex” warnings, I offer the theory it’s because they’ve been given incorrect information such as the statement contained in the Counterpunch article about an AIDS “epidemic” among teens--an epidemic that doesn’t exist.

For the record, I am not a homophobe or someone who thinks AIDS isn’t a serious problem. It’s just that there’s enough misinformation floating around about AIDS without more misinformation being printed with The Times’ imprimatur of accuracy.

C.B. REED

Rancho Cucamonga

Counterpunch writer Helen Galvin replies: “It’s true that adult homosexuals are still the No. 1 group of AIDS sufferers, but my intention was to point out that teenagers and young adults have the No. 1 rate of increasing incidence of HIV infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The statistics are alarming and it is hardly an exaggeration to call this an epidemic. I regret my wording didn’t convey that message.”