Monday, March 22, 2010

HIV/AIDs epidemic continues to spread

The 2009 DC Epidemiology report says that there was a nine percent increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in just one year. Although less people developed AIDS, the last stage of HIV disease, that does not address the main issue.
The main issue is education to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. A recent study has shown conclusively that programs that emphasize abstinence from sex, unlike so called "comprehensive" programs that mostly emphasize using condoms, reduce the number of teens having sex. Why then does Washington, DC continue to push ever more condoms, even now promoting female condoms, when no study has ever shown that so called "comprehensive" sex education programs increase the rate of consistent condom use among the general population.
We need to provide all youth beginning in 6th grade with abstinence centered education that clearly teaches the physical, social, and emotional consequences of sexual activity outside of a mutually faithful monogamous relationship, i.e. marriage. Nothing else will do justice for the next generation of our leaders. As your next At- Large Councilmember I will work diligently with my colleagues to fund abstinence centered programs for all DC youth.