[AD from SpringBay]

Abstinence has a 100% prevention rate for STDs. That's a pretty simple, fairly cheap, message. Don't know what all the hubbub is about.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

"What we don't want to do is just hand out condoms and brochures"

Exactly. The CDC is doing the right thing. The only thing this does is causes complacency.

[ValerieUSA]

All are among the programs that could lose funding under the new HIV prevention strategy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which calls for increased attention to people who already carry the virus that causes AIDS.

If the CDC is FINALLY going to recognize that ONLY people with HIV can spread HIV, then this is good news. They have wasted decades avoiding this very basic premise.

[HurkinMcGurkin]

"You can't argue with an initiative that centers its AIDS-prevention efforts on people who carry and can actually spread the disease," said Debra Fraser-Houze, president of the National Black Leadership Council on AIDS. "But one that only focuses on people who are already HIV positive, and takes no responsibility for prevention among people who are not yet positive is insane and, I feel, genocidal."

Oh, yes, "genocidal", I'm sure.

Newsflash: If a person engages in risky sexual activity, or IV drug use, they stand a much greater chance of contracting HIV than those who do not. It does not take one dollar to get this message across.

Debra Frazer-Houze is just ticked that her group may not be getting free money to spend on ritzy offices and extravagant vacations anymore. All the money spent in the last 15 years has not slowed the spred among the risk groups mentioned above - and it never will.

[telebob]

"You can't argue with an initiative that centers its AIDS-prevention efforts on people who carry and can actually spread the disease," said Debra Fraser-Houze, president of the National Black Leadership Council on AIDS. "But one that only focuses on people who are already HIV positive, and takes no responsibility for prevention among people who are not yet positive is insane and, I feel, genocidal."

Of course. Better to piss away huge amounts of money on the feel-good banana/condom circuit when all you really need to tell them is "Want aids? Be a homo or a mainlainer or both".

[George W. Bush]

In announcing the new strategy, CDC director Julie Gerberding said it was clear that existing prevention efforts have "stalled." She cited rising rates of sexually transmitted disease rates in many U.S. cities, and that an estimated one-quarter of the more than 800,000 people living with HIV are unaware of their status.

If one-quarter are unaware of their status, then the 800,000 figure is also an estimate. So this is an estimated percentage of an estimate.

Interesting that the CDC, for all the money they spend on AIDS, won't just give the real reported number and instead prefers to give out an estimate of an estimate.

I suppose that's a time-tested method for keeping the money machine greased.