January 20, 2004

A is for AIDS, Mr. President, Not Abstinence

Minutes ago, in his State of the Union address, President Bush stated, “Each year, about three million teenagers contract a sexually transmitted disease [STD] that can harm them or kill them or prevent them from ever becoming parents.” President Bush then explained his solution to this problem is to double federal funding for school-based abstinence programs.

AIDS Action wishes to remind the President that one of those STDs that can harm or kill teenagers is HIV—a virus which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is affecting a rising number of young people, not all of whom are in school or understand what abstinence really means. In addition, people beyond school age are not immune to any STD, including HIV. If our goal is to give every young person the information and tools to remain STD-free and HIV negative, then our nation must speak frankly and honestly about what will keep our society socially and physically healthy.

After his State of the Union address last year, AIDS Action applauded the President for his bold new initiative against global HIV. He demonstrated a level of vision and leadership that ultimately led to the creation of a comprehensive plan to stem HIV in fourteen developing countries. While AIDS Action thanks President Bush for his exceptional work on global HIV/AIDS, we challenge him to demonstrate the same level of leadership and commitment in efforts to curb HIV/AIDS here at home by speaking frankly about our domestic epidemic rather than omitting it.

Last year, because the President Bush assumed a leadership role in the world’s response to global HIV/AIDS by laying out a comprehensive plan to stem HIV in fourteen developing countries and by indicating his commitment to pursuing an unprecedented level of funding to support the initiative, awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis was raised throughout the world and, in the U.S., legislation was passed to put the President’s global plan into action (once its funding is appropriated).

Despite these promising steps, it is unfortunate that, for two consecutive years, President Bush has chosen not to speak about the domestic HIV epidemic with those who are most impacted by it: the American people.

In the United States, there are approximately 900,000 HIV-positive Americans—one-third of whom are unaware of their status—and cases of HIV have risen 2.2 percent overall and, in some groups, by as much as 7.1 percent. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us, “The AIDS epidemic is far from over.” Unless decisive action is taken by the President, these statistics will only worsen.

AIDS Action therefore strongly urges President Bush to address the domestic epidemic with the same enthusiasm, vigor, and frequency he demonstrated last year. In the past, we at AIDS Action have referred to President Bush as the HIV President. His global initiative and his support for the CLIA waiver, which ensured that a rapid test for HIV was brought to market, as well as his support of modest increases to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program all in one year showed many of us in the AIDS community that he and his administration had a beginning appreciation for expanding the U.S. role in this global epidemic.

“Tonight’s speech was a missed opportunity to continue the great work President Bush began last year, and to speak only about abstinence and not other scientifically accepted public health interventions for young people (and their adult parents) is a costly omission—not just in dollars, but also in lives,” stated AIDS Action Executive Director Marsha Martin, DSW, after attending this evening’s address. Dr. Martin continued, “The lack of mention of the domestic HIV epidemic simply is not acceptable. “So much more is needed—and I’m not talking just about money.” Continuing, Dr. Martin explained, “In addition to ensuring adequate funding for prevention, care, and treatment services for all Americans at risk for or living with HIV, the President must keep the nation up-to-date on the ever-changing domestic epidemic. And the only way to do this effectively is through an honest and ongoing dialogue about HIV; one that is straightforward about sex and HIV prevention—including abstinence and condom use—and provides information on HIV testing, treatment, and care.”

AIDS Action Foundation strives to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by working for public policies that promote prevention against new infections, provide care for people already living with HIV/AIDS, and support the search for a cure. AIDS Action is the national voice of all people living with HIV, representing community based organizations across the country.