Danny Davis: “I want to thank the esteemed gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon) for joining me this afternoon as we discuss one of…”

“I want to thank the esteemed gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon) for joining me this afternoon as we discuss one of the most serious problems facing our country and, indeed, our world today, that is, the problem of HIV/AIDS and all of the problems associated with it, as well as talk about ways in which we can combat it. Earlier today we passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Relief Act, which provides resources to fight this dreadful disease. I think our passage of this act today is further indication of how serious this Congress takes this problem and the approaches that we have begun to use in terms of providing resources to deal with it. Although money is needed, and resources is one way of impacting positively the situation, there are other things that people can do that do in fact cost money, but sometimes not as much as we think. There are many agencies, organizations, and groups throughout America and throughout the world who are making use of themselves in every possible way to do what it is that they can to arrest this disease. One of the areas that we have the most difficulty with is in teenagers. Despite the fact that most American teenagers are aware of methods for preventing pregnancy and STD infection, reports indicate that nearly half of teenagers engage in unprotected sexual activity. In turn, morbidity and infection rates due to HIV continue to rise as young adults become one of the fastest-growing populations contracting HIV/AIDS.”