November 28, 2007

Which Presidential Candidates Support Needle Exchange?

About 40 HIV/AIDS advocates convened in Manhattan today to support the launch of political watchdog website AIDSVote.org.

New York-based advocacy groups Housing Works and Gay Men’s Health Crisis announced the launch of the site in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood this morning as they unveiled results from an AIDSVote.org candidate questionnaire and from “Where Do They Stand? The Gay Men’s Health Crisis Report on the 2008 Presidential Candidates and HIV/AIDS Issues.”

“World AIDS Day is this Saturday, but you could also say that World AIDS Day is Election Day 2008.  That’s because our next president will have the opportunity and the responsibility to end AIDS,” said Charles King, President and CEO of Housing Works.  “She or he will have the tools to treat 33 million people living with HIV—including over a million Americans—around the planet, as well as the tools to stop the spread of the virus. We’re here to build the political will to make that happen.”

The results from the surveys showed vast differences between Democratic and Republican candidates. While seven Democratic candidates have pledged $50 billion to fight HIV/AIDS around the world, no Republican candidates have made such a commitment.

Additionally, the three leading Democratic candidates, Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hilary Clinton and former Senator John Edwards, all have shown public support for ending the ban on using federal dollars to fund needle-exchange programs—programs that have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use.

AIDSVote.org is a nonpartisan campaign that is working to make sure that presidential candidates of all parties know the best strategies for fighting AIDS in the United States and around the world.

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Previous Comments:

Fred Schmidt, Bronx,N.Y., 2007-12-04 09:15:10
It's very important for the candidates to relize how important the needle exchange programs are.As A certified HIV/AIDS Advocate,Peer Educater and someone who is infected by this virus I try to spread the message that the needle exchange programs are one of the foremost tools we have in slowing down the spread of this virus along with Hepatitis-c and other dieseases,thank you,Cholito

Skip Ordway, San Francisco Bay Area, 2007-11-29 16:39:18
Again, POZ writes an intriguing headline, then fails to support it with real reporting. This article asks "Which Presidential Candidates Support Needle Exchange? " In the text, it appears the answer is 3. AIDSVote.org candidate profiles make clear all 6 DEM respondents agree needle exchange is effective(no responses are posted from Dodd). As far as pledging $50 billion to fight global AIDS/HIV, Rep. Kucinich is one Democrat that does NOT. His survey response "dispenses" only $30 billion.

lonny l, BOYNTON BEACH, 2007-11-29 14:08:23
As a former heroine addict, and hiv pos for over 20 years, we used 2 pick needles up off the street, because they were so hard 2 get, and there is no doubt in my mind, that if they had needle exchange programs wen i was using, that i would be negative today, and im sure many others like me. There is no doubt that this program works.

David Mynott II, Boston, 2007-11-29 07:58:43
Why only list 3 candidates? It's not up to POZ or mainstream media to pick our candidates. I support the best, most compassionate, Dennis Kucinich, who deserves representation here. Corporate owned media censor him because he refuses money from Corporate interests. Don't compound that crime by excluding him here. Have we learned nothing from suffering, isolation, & the underdog position we've experienced as those infected with HIV? Space limited? Edit text, not candidates. Thanks