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!