Business Wire - September 7, 2000
"We are alarmed by this trend. Clearly, HIV-education and -prevention need a major boost," said GayHealth.com(TM)'s medical director and founder, Stephen E. Goldstone, M.D., F.A.C.S. "That's why we're placing HIV within the broader context of health and wellness, looking closely at the problems behind risky sex--including anxiety and depression, self-esteem, misconceptions about HIV-treatments and more."
GayHealth.com(TM)'s groundbreaking HIV Disclosure Survey, conducted in July 2000, reveals staggering numbers of people engage in unprotected sex. Over 18% of all respondents said they had unprotected anal and/or vaginal sex with someone whom they knew had HIV. 73% said they had unprotected anal, vaginal and/or oral sex with a partner whose HIV-status was unknown to them. And 34% said they had unprotected anal and/or vaginal sex without telling their partner beforehand they have HIV. The survey had 397 respondents.
"The evidence continues to mount that gay men remain at alarming risk for infection. In fact, risk may again be increasing in some communities," said Ronald O. Valdiserri, M.D., Deputy Director of CDC's National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. "To address the urgent need for HIV prevention in this population, prevention specialists will need to address multiple factors, including prevention burn-out among older men, beliefs that HIV is no longer a serious disease, a new generation of gay and bisexual men who must be reached, and cultural issues for gay men of color."
Kicking off the initiative, world-recognized experts Caitlin Ryan, A.S.C.W. and Donna Futterman, M.D., have developed for GayHealth.com(TM)guidelines to help medical professionals discuss sexuality with adolescents.
"Helping the medical community better communicate with their LBGT patients is crucial to prevention," said GayHealth.com(TM) associate medical director Susan C. Ball, M.D., Bernbaum Unit HIV Care Center at NY Presbyterian Hospital. "If we want to lower HIV infection rates, our entire community needs to be involved."
GayHealth.com(TM) was founded in 1999 by the nation's top lesbian and gay medical professionals to serve the healthcare needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities worldwide.
CONTACT: GayHealth.com Charlie Hsieh 212/377-3325 pr@gayhealth.com
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