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January 24, 2004 NORA Responds to State of the Union The President’s State of the Union address, delivered last night, was a missed opportunity for the President to address the continuing HIV epidemic both here in the United States and around the world. Although President Bush announced a new plan for addressing the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in young people, he chose not to mention HIV and AIDS – despite the fact that half of all new HIV infections in this country is in someone under the age of 25. In his speech, the President stated, “Each year, about three million teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases that can harm them, or kill them, or prevent them from ever becoming parents…We will double federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.” While NORA applauds the President for his willingness to address the growing rate of STD infection, we would like to remind him that one of those STDs is HIV. If we are to truly commit to helping our young people remain HIV negative, then we must provide them with the best possible information so that they can make responsible choices about their sexual health. Thus, we are concerned that his plan for increased funding for abstinence programs is not the best way to address this growing problem. NORA supports school-based sex education as a proven means of informing young people about making responsible choices when it comes to their sexual health. The coalition strongly believes that such programs should be comprehensive, including information not only about abstinence, but also about all facets of sexual health, including the prevention of STDs such as HIV. We are gravely concerned that the funding for new abstinence-only-until-marriage programs outlined in last night’s speech will come at the expense of young people’s lives. Studies have repeatedly shown that programs that include information about abstinence and medically-accurate information regarding the prevention of STDs are both practical and effective. Finally, NORA is also disappointed that the President chose not to use this opportunity to update the American people on the current status of his President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which he launched at last year’s State of the Union. We applauded the President last year for this bold new initiative to address the crisis of global AIDS; however we remain concerned about the program’s current funding and implementation. It is unfortunate that President Bush chose not to address these concerns. National Organizations Responding to AIDS (NORA) is a diverse coalition of national organizations responding to the AIDS epidemic. NORA's mission is to engage in concerted federal advocacy on national public policy on HIV and AIDS. The Coalition provides a forum for the discussion of emerging legislative, policy and programmatic issues surrounding the AIDS epidemic and for the comprehensive analysis of pending legislation and regulation for the purpose of determining priorities for legislative and administrative action. |
