Failure of AIDS Prevention Education

• NCJ Number: 126606
• Journal: Public Interest Issue: 96 Dated: (Summer 1989) Pages: 47-61
• Author(s): W E Dannemeyer; M G Franc
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reevaluates the education-only approach to the HIV epidemic and proposes a program of confidential reporting together with partner notification as an alternative option.

Abstract

It describes studies by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) and the Harlem Hospital Center that demonstrate the failure of AIDS education for substance abusers. Preliminary results of the AIDS Outreach Intervention Project and data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are then presented to illustrate the extent of the epidemic among intravenous drug users (IVDU) and their sexual partners. Lastly, a policy response is proposed which advocates confidential reporting to public health officials, aggressive sexual partner notification, elimination of barriers to testing, routine offering of voluntary HIV testing, and criminal penalties for infecting others with HIV.