Washington Blade - December 16, 2005
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

But some public health advocates are concerned that the latest federally funded anti-drug campaign marries abstinence-only drug education with abstinence-only sex education.

In an ad sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a government agency, two teenage girls text message each other about a friend's HIV status. One writes, "U hear about Kim?" The other replies, "She got high; she got stupid; now she has HIV."

The campaign, which cost $130,000 according to a National Institute on Drug Abuse spokesperson, will be televised nationally on MTV and other stations, as well as in Times Square, Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears and Costco.

"It implies that drug use and HIV came together," said Ron Simmons, president of Us Helping Us, who viewed the ad. "It sounds as though if you get high you get HIV. If you protect yourself, you can avoid HIV."

Several members of Metro Teen AIDS that the Blade interviewed liked the ad for addressing the risks of drug use and alcohol. But they agreed that it was missing an essential component: condoms.

"A lot of people could relate to it," said Raiesha Hicks, an 18-year-old peer educator with Metro Teen AIDS and a member of the Young Women of Color Youth Leadership Council. "It shows how [drugs and alcohol] can impair judgment about having safe sex."

But Danielle Greenfield, a 17-year-old high school senior and peer educator, added, "It should include [information] about condoms and that both males and females should carry them."

Other AIDS advocates who watched the ad echoed those sentiments, criticizing the campaign for ignoring preventive measures people can take.

"It's more realistic to give advice about managing risk in a party environment," said Sarah Whitehead, a spokesperson for AIDS Action. "Kids, while we want them to remain drug and alcohol free, that doesn't always happen."

Ad meant to grab

Cindy Miner, deputy director of the Office of Science Policy & Communication for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said the short length of the ad meant they only had time to grab people and raise the issue.

"We have 20 seconds to get somebody's attention," she said. "Drug use in general can lead to risky behaviors. That's a message nobody is talking about."

But the campaign's website, www.hiv.drugabuse.gov, also does not mention condoms. Several public health advocates noted that this approach to safe sex is indicative of a larger federal campaign that, they said, substitutes morality for science.

This week, a federal official who works with HIV/AIDS programs reportedly leaked a policy document to the Baltimore Sun that dictates that 66 percent of federal funding for global HIV prevention measures must go to programs that promote abstinence and faithfulness.

"Not only does the policy misdirect important health funding, it also exports ineffective and unproven policies that are detrimental to lives," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.

051216
WB051217

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .