Time to Escalate the War on AIDS

The Declaration of Independence states that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights. We as a nation stress saving lives. We are concerned about driving as a risky activity so we have seat belts, air bags and speed limits. After Sept. 11, we acted rapidly to put security measures in place, spending millions of dollars and increasing manpower.

These are obvious and sensible reactions to a horrific event. For 20-plus years we have been terrorized by HIV/AIDS. The federal government responded with the Ryan White CARE Act to save lives by funding medical care, medication, social services. However, an all-out effort to stop the spread of the disease by a well-funded national plan based on scientific theory has not occurred.

In Orange County we have more than 6,000 AIDS cases. Santa Ana, with 948 cases and 492 deaths, has been particularly hard hit. The term “case” diminishes the reality that we are talking about people--men, women and children. These are people with full-blown AIDS; the number of HIV cases is unavailable.

As of July 1, HIV will become a reportable disease, which will finally demonstrate the magnitude and direction of the epidemic. Every year 40,000 new infections occur in the United States. Every hour, two teenagers become infected with HIV.

What are we doing in response to this deadly threat? We are teaching abstinence, telling teenagers and young people with normal sexual drives to become celibate.

“Just Say No” didn’t work for the drug war, and it won’t work as a stand-alone message now to prevent the spread of HIV.

Certainly, encouraging abstinence as one component of prevention is important. But specific, targeted, repeated information and effective prevention strategies are needed.

On May 3, The Times reported on a study conducted by Planned Parenthood that in Orange County 44% of Latino males are reporting their first sexual intercourse by age 14 and 35% of Latinas by age 15. Other ethnic groups were not studied, but with the rate of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases it becomes obvious that abstinence is not an effective message.

What can we do locally? Get the facts about how HIV is spread. Talk to your children about the consequences, as well as the personal and moral responsibilities of being sexually active. Go to your school boards and demand that the mandated HIV/AIDS education programs are provided and that abstinence is not the only message. Urge your state legislator to pass AB 2768, a bill that sets minimum standards for HIV/AIDS prevention instruction.

Urge your federal and state elected officials to increase prevention funds and not allow cuts in the budget. You also can get involved with AIDS Walk on June 2 at UC Irvine. Funds raised go to eight agencies that provide programs including prevention education and direct client care. The walk supplements federal and state funds coming into the county.

In the current economic and political climate, fund-raising is more difficult. So join the 15,000 people expected to walk to help prevent the spread of this devastating disease here in Orange County. For more information visit www.aidswalk.org/oc.