There is real hope that AIDS could become a manageable disease, like diabetes, not a death sentence. The new realities of AIDS require new strategies. Two approaches are widely supported. The third is controversial, but gaining ground.
Needle exchanges reduce the spread of infection, addressing the primary risk to women and babies.
They do not increase drug use. The scientific evidence is overwhelming. However, the Clinton administration lacks the political courage to fund needle exchange, and the House just voted to block Health and Human Services from ending the federal funding ban. This policy is immoral. The administration is willing to expand Medicaid coverage to lowincome people diagnosed with HIV, as a statelevel experiment.