| For Immediate Release
May 1, 2003
Contact: Lynn Schulman for GMHC, 212-367-1210
Director of Communications
Statement of Ana Oliveira, Executive Director
of GMHC
Re: House Passage of Global
HIV/AIDS Initiative
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is disappointed that the House, today,
passed the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS Act of 2003 (H.R. 1298),
with amendments that undermine the Ugandan model of prevention which
clearly demonstrates that condom use is key to reducing the rate
of HIV/AIDS infections. The bill passed today calls for one-third
of all prevention funding to be used for abstinence programs, including
abstinence until marriage.
It is unfortunate that President Bush allowed and applauded the
efforts of conservative House Members and right-wing fundamentalists
who worked hand-in-hand to restrict the bill's balanced approach
to the global fight against AIDS. In remarks made on April 30, by
President Bush and his Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer, it appeared
that President Bush was finally demonstrating the "compassionate
conservatism" that he has been talking about for some time now,
by supporting the full "ABC approach" of abstinence, being faithful,
and using condoms when appropriate that was pioneered by Uganda
and which resulted in a dramatic reduction in the prevalence of
HIV in Uganda.
There are some good components to the bill, which implements Mr.
Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the five year, $15 billion
initiative that Mr. Bush announced in his State of the Union address,
but they are clearly weakened by the insensitivity of House members
who are more interested in controlling people's sexual practices
than are in preventing decent individuals — men, women and children
— from coming down with the deadly HIV/AIDS virus.
In a balanced, comprehensive approach to preventing the spread
of HIV, encouraging a delay in the onset of sexual activity and
encouraging people to limit the number of sexual partners is important.
Promoting the correct and consistent use of condoms by sexually
active individuals is also important and vital to an overall prevention
strategy. This is the sound, public health approach to stopping
the spread of HIV infection. GMHC urges the Senate to put the "C"
back in the "ABC approach." People's lives depend on it.
© 2003 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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