The Hidden Face of HIV/AIDS

The face of HIV/AIDS has continuously changed since it’s emergence in the early 1980’s. At first it was seen strictly as a young white gay male disease, however the epidemic has had an overwhelmingly large effect on every other racial, orientation, gender, and age group. Thus spawning several efforts by government agencies to decrease HIV infection as well as improve maintenance once individuals contract the disease.

National days for HIV testing bring this sensitive topic to light from within the communities and provides them with a chance to educate themselves.

One group that, in Hyacinth AIDS Foundation Health Educator Mark Cruz’s opinion, is left under-served by these tactics are Asian-Americans. In his interview he sites a combination of stigma, language, communication, and education as barriers to the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Asian community.

Can I Go to the Nurse Please?

According to an article in the New York Times King Middle School in Portland, Maine has voted in favor of providing girls access to oral contraceptives in their health clinic.

Opposition to the new policy argue that impressing sexual responsibility between the ages of 11-13 is unnecessary and sends the wrong message. However with health officials citing that 17 middle school students had become pregnant in the last 4 years (seven of them during the 2006-07 school year), a different message is being heard loud and clear.

Nick McGee, the city’s Republican Party chairman, told the Times, “It is an attack on the moral fabric of our community and a black eye for our state.”

What could be more “morally compromising” than teenage parents that are ill equipped to take care of an infant? Perhaps the parents and educators of those new parents failing to enlighten them to safer sex techniques and strategies necessary to avoid unexpected pregnancy.

Unexpected pregnancy has led to an innumerable amount of problems that make communities look like Mike Tyson after his 1990 pumbling by James “Buster Douglas. So McGee’s comment seems to be glib in light of resulting high school drop out rates, delinquency, increased reliance on social services, and depression.

Surprisingly the new policy has a large constituency of supporters. The Times reported — “I think it’s a great idea,” said Cathleen Allen, whose son is enrolled at King. “Someone is finally advocating for these students to take care of themselves.”

Being emotionally and physically too young to be sexually active is and will continue to be a controversial issue. However educating adolescents about how their bodies work, taking personal responsibility for their health, as well as making them aware of the consequences of their actions have always been key components to ensuring that they have healthy productive lives.

Kudos to King Middle School for taking such progressive steps in the direction of improving their student’s health.

King Middle School is scheduled to have the new policy in action by the end of the year. The services include counseling and examination by a physician or nurse practicioner provided by the school pending a signed waiver by the student’s guardians.