Educate to prevent AIDS

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				THE
Column Archive				VIRGINIA GAZETTE
				WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
Educate to prevent AIDS				December 24, 2002

In the early ‘80s, when it was, according to Ronald Reagan, morning in America, a pernicious plague began to insinuate itself into the gay male population of this country and fashion for it one never ending night. Though Reagan refused for almost two years to acknowledge the devastating effects of the quickly spreading virus, doctors at the Centers for Disease Control knew they were fighting one of the most insidious diseases ever to hit the country. It’s acronym is AIDS, and it’s still with us, though its victims are now found well beyond the boundaries of the gay white male population.

The numbers of those who have succumbed to the disease are staggering. 21 million have died from it worldwide, including over 450,000 in the United States and over 7,000 in Virginia. In 2001 alone, 6 million people were infected with the disease worldwide, while in 2002, approximately 42,000 new infections were reported in the U.S. Over 14,000 have been infected in Virginia. And these are the numbers for only those cases that have been reported. Thousands more who are infected are still walking the streets, spreading the virus through both sexual encounters and unclean needles.

The problems for those battling the disease are manifold, and especially here in Virginia. Despite the fact that the disease is spreading just as fast among heterosexuals as it is among gay men, the virus carries the stigma of its gay association.

Because of strong political and religious opposition to gay rights in Virginia, gays are still subject to types of discrimination that have long gone by the boards in more progressive states. For instance, Attorney General Jerry Kilgore recently told Fairfax County that its school board could not include gays in its nondiscrimination ordinances because there is no state nondiscrimination law protecting gays.

And just last year a young Virginian diagnosed with AIDS was told by United Airlines that the domestic partnership medical benefits they offered him and his partner could not be granted because of Virginia statutes prohibiting such relationships. The man died shortly thereafter.

Yet, despite the troglodytic views held by many in the state relative to gays and those with AIDS, the fight goes on. And it goes on with great vigor right here in Williamsburg.

Led by executive director Lenore Drewry, the Williamsburg AIDS Network, which started as a volunteer group, is now staffed by five professional employees. They carry a case load of about 25 patients, half of whom are mothers with young children.

These numbers may well increase, however, since Hampton Roads is the third fastest growing area in the nation in terms of new AIDS cases. 70% of those new infections are among the African-American population, both male and female. But the biggest problem faced by Drewry’s agency is getting those who are at risk tested - and this because of the stigma associated with the disease.

For those who do come in to the AIDS Network, however, the benefits are rather astounding. Not only do Drewry and her team make sure that patients receive the proper medical care, but they also provide financial assistance for rent, medical bills, electric bills and a host of other costs.

On the other hand, since there is no HIV specialist in the Williamsburg area, medical care is often difficult to come by. Presently, a physician from Eastern Virginia Medical School visits the Olde Towne Medical Center twice a month.

But perhaps the most important work of the organization is its educational outreach to the community. Debunking stereotypes and stigmas is no easy task, yet it is being done, and with great dedication.

Unfortunately – and to the great detriment of the young people of the area – the Network staff has been rebuffed by our public schools, and especially the high schools. As a result of one complaint about including a gay man with AIDS in their presentation at Jamestown High, the Network was ousted, and their message of prevention is no longer heard.

At private schools, however, such as Walsingham Academy, the Network program has been extremely successful. There students are encouraged to, and indeed do, ask pertinent questions about the spread of AIDS and what can be done to prevent it.

There is no doubt that Drewry and her staff are fighting an uphill battle against a vicious disease and the strident ideological baggage it carries. Yet the war must be fought, not only against the disease itself, but against the homophobia that attends it.

There is no cure; there is no vaccine to fight AIDS. But it is preventable, and education is the key to its prevention for both heterosexuals and gays. As Colin Powell said, “We know its cause and how to prevent it, and we all must take responsibility for its demise.”