Eva M. Clayton: “I do not know in the gentleman's area, but I am looking at health statistics and I am seeing an increase in sexually…”

“I do not know in the gentleman's area, but I am looking at health statistics and I am seeing an increase in sexually- transmitted diseases domestically. We see syphilis, other transmissible disease, things we thought were long cured or no longer existing. This is emerging again. Again, there is just a lack of vigilance in health standards or in protected hygiene, and in protected sex of adults, as well. Now, we are seeing not necessarily that one causes the other, but the vulnerability that one puts oneself in and one's body when they have a sexually-transmitted disease, it breaks down the immunity so the likelihood that one would be susceptible to HIV/AIDS is increased greatly. So we are having to almost educate people we thought knew these things and remind them that that is here. Certainly we have an education and prevention challenge, also, internationally. The gentleman is absolutely right, I think prevention is indeed the answer. That is why it makes it so troubling that the Ryan White funds are being reduced or flattened, because that is the outreach. We can prevent, we cannot cure. I think we ought to invest in research, and I commend that, but we do not have to do it either/or, we can do both. Why spend so much money in trying to treat a disease that we cannot cure when we have also the option to prevent the disease? So we need to take care of those who are affected, but we certainly need to be wise and prudent in investing in prevention.”