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Rachel Jacobson |
| Sujet: |
Fwd: In Honor of Women & Girls’ HIV Awareness Day: Girls Have a Right to Know about HIV Prevention
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Mar 10th, 2009 - 14:36:50 |
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alison Yager
Date: Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 2:05 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In Honor of Women & Girls HIV Awareness Day: Girls
Have a Right to Know About HIV Prevention
New York, NY (March 10, 2009) Schools across the country routinely fail to
provide girls and young women with comprehensive sexuality education the
cornerstone to HIV awareness and prevention. Meanwhile, young people between
the ages of 13 and 29 accounted for 34% of new HIV infections in 2006. As
the Appropriations Act awaits Senate approval, and as President Obama crafts
the details of his budget, the United States must change course and ensure
that HIV awareness and prevention begins with comprehensive sexuality
education for our young people.
We are at a critical moment where the President and Congress have the
opportunity to end ineffective and inaccurate abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs, says Tracy Welsh, Executive Director at HIV Law Project.
President Obama has stated his support for comprehensive sexuality
education. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that she would redirect
abstinence-only funds toward sexuality education. Yet, it appears that
neither the President nor Congress is taking affirmative steps to educate
our youth about HIV prevention.
The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, passed by the House of
Representatives on February 25, 2009 maintains over $94.6 million in federal
funding for abstinence-only programs for the remainder of the fiscal year.
As well, President Obamas recently released budget does not directly
mention comprehensive sexuality education. Privileging the abstinence-only
agenda, while denying young people information that directly impacts their
health and welfare, is irresponsible and short-sighted.
HIV Law Project calls on President Obama to specifically fund accurate and
appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for *all* students.
Prevention programming must include comprehensive sex education that
teaches young people how to prevent HIV transmission. If we miss this
opportunity, we will fail our young people now and for generations to come,
says Ms. Welsh.
HIV Law Project believes that all people deserve the same rights, including
the right to live with dignity and respect, the right to be treated as equal
members of society, and the right to have their basic human needs fulfilled.
These fundamental rights are elusive for many people living with HIV/AIDS.
Through innovative legal services and advocacy programs, HIV Law Project
fights for the rights of the most underserved people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV Law Projects *Center for Women & HIV Advocacy
*is
fighting for comprehensive sexuality education for students in New York and
throughout the country.
Alison Yager, Esq.
Project Manager
Center for Women & HIV Advocacy
HIV Law Project
15 Maiden Lane, 18th Fl.
New York, NY 10038
www.hivlawproject.org
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