HIV/AIDS infected and affected Ohoians filled the pews of First United Methodist Church in Cleveland on Dec. 3rd to tell White House officials their thoughts for improving care and access to HIV/AIDS services.  For nearly two and half hours, consumers of HIV/AIDS services, professionals, friends and family provided continuous testimony of practical and heartfelt recommendations and demands including needle exchange, condoms in prisons, anti-stigma media programs, streamlined program processes and more. I was inspired and proud of my community and began to think this exercise could actually help to bring about real changes... until I saw this article.

Apparently not everyone has the same common-sense ideas that advocates in Ohio have.  At a World AIDS Day conference in D.C., absolutely no mention was made about youth or comprehensive sex education, and condoms weren't even mentioned until the very end.

Here in Cleveland, Ohioans from every region expressed the need for comprehensive sex education. And those recommendations didn't all come from adults. Several youth were in attendence and at least five youth provided testimony in support of comprehensive sex education. Not one mention of failed abstinence-only programs occurred.  I continue to have hope in Ohio, mostly because of our youth who are not afraid to tell the White House what they know will work!

The Ohio House Health Committee heard proponent testimony on the Ohio Prevention First Act (HB 293) on Wednesday, November 18^th, 2009.  HB 293 includes a breakout bill (Act for Our Children’s Future) that promotes comprehensive sexuality education in Ohio’s schools. Of the ten witnesses who provided testimony in support of comprehensive sex education, two were youth involved with the Ohio Advocates Youth Leadership Council.  K.D., a fourth year student at the University of Cincinnati gave their account of the lack of comprehensive sex education in their hometown in rural Ohio and how that has impacted their family.  Danny S., a junior at Parma Senior High School spoke about his experience of having to receive limited and false information regarding sexual health in his school from an abstinence-only-until-marriage program called Operation Keepsake. Committee members were especially interested in Danny’s testimony and responses, asking him many more questions than other witnesses, noting that he represents the youth that will be affected by this bill.  K.D. and Danny did an incredible job of representing the youth of Ohio and were joined by medical doctors, social workers, policy analysts, clergy and non-profit directors who also gave testimony in support of this bill. 

 

>Additional written testimony was also provided Ohio Advocates members and associates, including Abbey White, a graduate of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and currently studying in Vermont, and Jamie Royce, a graduate of Loveland City Schools and currently studying at the University of Cincinnati.

To read submitted testimony and further summaries of the event go to NARAL Prochoice Ohio: http://www.prochoiceohio.org/issues/factsheets/200911191.shtml

If you live in Ohio, please sign the Ohio Prevention First petition: 
www.amplifyyourvoice.org/ohiopreventionfirst

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