PPNC Recognizes World AIDS Day

As the global community marks World AIDS Day today, Planned Parenthood of Nassau County (PPNC) assailed the dangerous and ideologically motivated requirement that at least one-third of all global HIV prevention funds provided by the U.S. be used to support unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

“Our government needs to be held accountable for the harm it causes by mandating dangerous, ideologically motivated programs,” said JoAnn Smith, President & CEO, PPNC. “With so many lives at stake, there is no room for politics to trump sound policies.”

Newly released statistics in a report from UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and the World Health Organization indicate that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS has increased during the past two years.  Nearly 40 million people worldwide are now infected with HIV.  Last year more than four million people were newly infected with HIV, and almost three million people around the world died of AIDS-related illnesses.  Women and young people are increasingly bearing the brunt of this devastating pandemic.  The new data points to a resurgence of the epidemic in countries where HIV was thought to be in decline, such as in Thailand and Uganda.

“How many people have to suffer and die before our government wakes up to the harm it’s doing with its emphasis on abstinence-only programs?  We must immediately change course and embrace a comprehensive approach to fighting HIV,” added Smith.

Here in Nassau County, PPNC recognized World AIDS Day by distributing free red ribbons and condoms to all of our patients. Our student interns also created a panel for the AIDS quilt. In addition, free HIV testing is always available at PPNC's three health centers in Hempstead, Glen Cove and Massapequa.

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