A silent epidemic in South Carolina: HIV

by smkovalinsky | October 25, 2009 at 06:36 am

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"South Carolina, like a number of states in the Southeastern region, is being devastated by a silent enemy that hasn't attracted a lot of media attention lately: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers South Carolina one of the top-ten HIV "hot spots" in the nation. "

"HIV is no less than a public health crisis in South Carolina. We have few public or private resources to dedicate to preventing the spread of HIV. "

~ Huffington Post, Oct. 26

South Carolina, according to Huffington Post, is "being devastated by a silent enemy", the HIV virus which leads to full blown AIDs in a high number of cases:

Currently listed by the National Center for Disease Control as one of the top ten areas impacted by AIDS, South Carolina journalist Bonnie Adams Kapp believes the time has come to examine National policy on this pressing issue:

To see a video on HIV/AIDS crisis in the State of South Carolina, go to :

http://vimeo.com/7209595

To read more about the South Carolina AIDS Council, see http://www.schivaidscouncil.org/

If you have had your head above water, you likely have noticed that South Carolina has been in the news a lot lately. First there was our governor's Brazilian waxing-poetic, followed by a state partisan's hurling of insults at Mrs. Obama, and then there was of course The Outburst, by Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) which will live in infamy both locally and nationally.
No, the news has not been good for South Carolina. But, regrettably, things here may be even worse than you imagine.

South Carolina, like a number of states in the Southeastern region, is being devastated by a silent enemy that hasn't attracted a lot of media attention lately: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers South Carolina one of the top-ten' Hot spots' for AIDS. . .

HIV is no less than a public health crisis in South Carolina. We have few public or private resources to dedicate to preventing the spread of HIV. This is not the time for ambivalence in Washington, nor is it a time when we can allow ourselves to be victimized by Congressional compromises or back room deal-making -- and HIV-prevention should not be overshadowed by Congressional representatives' personal or ideological ties to the abstinence-only gluttons back home. Reinvesting in abstinence-only funding streams not only would divert needed funds from HIV-prevention at home, but also would cause further obstruction of medically accurate sexual health education in our schools and communities. South Carolinians have suffered too much from this already. In fact, some of the responsibility for the growth of our HIV epidemic could arguably be laid at the feet of those who have worked vigorously to censor public health information.

Reinvesting in abstinence-only funding streams not only would divert needed funds from HIV-prevention at home, but also would cause further obstruction of medically accurate sexual health education in our schools and communities

This is what happens when an abstinence-only agenda is pushed at the peril of a balanced family planning/HIV-AIDS education.

Reports like this one are not so silent when you look at the statistics for the last twenty years. Sex education in South Carolina schools has been debated and remains a divisive issue. Teen pregnancy and sexual activity and teen births declined in the 1990s, it was still well above the national average. In 2003 a Youth At Risk Survey showed 56% of high school students had sexual intercourse compared to the 46.7% nationally. High rates of sexual activity equate to high rates of STDs. In 1988, teen birts ages 15-19 were 65 per 1,000 compared to the national average of 53 per 1,000. By 2000, rates had declined to 59 per 1,000 but were still above the national rate of 48 per 1,000. In 2003 South Carolina ranked fourth nationally among all age groups in diagnosed cases of gonorrhea, tenth in cases of chlamydia, and ninth for new cases of AIDS.

South Carolina struggles as two divergent schools of thought on the issue of sex education. One of abstinence only until marriage who only want discussions of contraception to be morally wrong and more damaging and promotes sexual activity. In 1988 S.C. enacted a Comprehensive Health Education Act providing for sex education in schools. There have been over twenty attempts to change the legislation by conservative groups.

The statistics we are reading about now are a result of the suppression of HIV/AIDS education and are predictible based on the publics ambivalence to accept health education programs in schools.

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Roy C

at 08:44 on October 25th, 2009

Drug-resistant TB and AIDs are going to trim the population of the Earth back a few hundred million or maybe a billion.

Poverty will speed the spread of this Evil Dynamic Duo with lack of funds for treatment being the main culprit keeping TB resistant.

a211423

at 10:24 on October 25th, 2009

Roy,

The number of people dying from tuberculosis world wide is declining. I have attached the Living Proof Project. The Gates Foundation has lead the way in funding for Tuberculosis control globally.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/livingproofproject/Documents/progress-against-tb.pdf

smkovalinsky

at 09:19 on October 25th, 2009

Yes, I think you are correct, Roy.

politisite

at 09:29 on October 25th, 2009

Thanks for your story. One Note NBC TV Anchor in Columbia Judi Gatson will moderate the White House Office of National AIDS Policy HIV/AIDS Community discussion in Columbia on Monday.

at 10:11 on October 25th, 2009

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