Date: 1999-10-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands and the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I join the Meinbers here representing the Black Caucus. and I plead for more attention and funding to be given for prevention and treatment of the HIV virus and the AIDS disease. Mr. Speaker. somehow I think. that back in 1980. 1981. and 1982. when many of the leaders from the gay community were speaking out against this virus. that much of the other parts of the community simply ignored it because they thought it was just a disease of the gay and lesbian population. Even at that time. I knew a virus did not know the sexual practices of people. and I felt it was a communicable disease that had the capacity of infecting almost anyone. That has proven to be true. Back in 1980 and 1981. when we were having meetings at home. I was getting warnings that it was dangerous to be talking about this kind of virus that is affecting just the gay community. We now find that is not the case. It is a communicable disease that will affect all persons that are subjected or exposed to this virus in the workplace. in the health facilities. anywhere that persons can be exposed to this virus. Mr. Speaker. we now plead for this money to follow where it is. We know that we have had reductions. and we are always pleased about having reductions in any kind of communicable disease. We have seen almost a wipeout of diphtheria and all the various viruses and bacterial communicable diseases we have had in the past. Hopefully we will speak of this disease as one of the past. but we cannot ignore the education that must taken to prevent this devastating virus. With our young people and our youth groups. they must understand what causes the exposure and how to prevent that exposure. Far too many people are dying of AIDS. Even though it is much less than what it was some years ago. any death from this virus is too many. because it means that someone has ignored or .not known what exposes them to this deadly virus. People are living longer. which is costing more for care. and we are always pleased to have good results. but nothing surpasses preventing diseases of this sort. For that reason. I hope we would give real attention to educating especially our younger people. We are finding that our older women in heterosexual relationships have an increase in the incidence of the HIVAIDs virus because of loneliness. all kinds of other activities that would lead them to be exposed to this virus. That must be given attention. No matter what the profile of the individual might be or might seem to be. caution is advised. We have gone a long way in attempting to keep people alive with the various drugs that are very. very costly. and causing them to live longer lives. But nothing yet has come along for us to see the real end to this deadly virus. The best thing we can do is prevent it. We find that the persons who are the most sometimes uneducated are the ones who least believe that they can be exposed to this virus. and they are the ones who are becoming more exposed all the time. No one. absolutely no one. is safe when they take part in any activity that exposes them to this virus. no matter what. I am eternally grateful for the leaders in the gay community for continuing to talk about this virus. and not allowing the rest of us to forget it just because they had a larger incidence. That incidence has gone down tremendously in that community. but the leadership continues almost to come from the concentration of their community. I am grateful for them continuing to bring forth the leadership in educating the people. but there is an element missing. When people think it is only in the gay community. they simply think they are over and above this exposure. This is the myth we must break down. This -is a virus that absolutely anyone can be exposed to. It only takes one exposure. so the education must go forth in all communities. young and old. heterosexual or not. We must not stop educating. because that is the only thing that is going to prevent this virus. It is costly. the treatment is very costly. the suffering is costly. We must really focus on prevention and not just paying for the illness. I want to thank the leadership of the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands