FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
CONTACT:
|
Bill
Barker |
| Friday, June 1, 2001 |
|
(202) 419-3420 |
20 Years into Pandemic,
HIV/AIDS Claiming Another Generation of Young People
Advocates
for Youth Calls for Immediate Increase in HIV/AIDS
Education and Prevention Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC (June 1, 2001) Advocates for Youth's President, James
Wagoner, today calls a report by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), "a sobering wake-up call that more must be done
in the fight against HIV/AIDS."
Released today, the CDC report finds that HIV infections are increasing
among young men who
have sex with men, and particularly among young African American
men who have sex with men.
"Today's report sends a chilling reminder that HIV/AIDS is devastating
a generation of young people," said Wagoner. "As we pass the
20th anniversary of AIDS, it is alarmingly clear that young people—and
particularly young
people or color - are the new face of this pandemic."
"American young people cannot afford to wait another 20 years for
the U.S. to do its share in ending HIV/AIDS," said Wagoner. "Congress
can and should play a critical role in protecting the health and lives
of young men by immediately increasing funding for HIV/AIDS prevention
efforts."
Wagoner also warns that prevention efforts must speak directly to communities
at risk. "Members of Congress must fund education that is culturally
relevant to the most vulnerable populations - young men who have sex
with men and youth of color," said Wagoner.
"I am confident that Congress can make a significant contribution
to HIV prevention efforts, but it must act swiftly, before more lives
are lost unnecessarily," concluded Wagoner.
###
Note
to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set
up an interview with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact
Bill Barker at (202) 419-3420.
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