`Yodve got a~ big problem in ,Te>tas'
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KQOD tells lawmakers AIDS funds should be a state priority
                                                                           -

6~ MARK TOOHEY
! IWWI Chmmcle Austin Bureau
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.4~`STIS - Legislative leaders
sl.oaid piece a high priority on fund-
mg .\IllS programs because *'
       r pie
a!~ ;!lr impibrtant as roads an pris-
004  &~te Health Commissioner
li.;tw*rt Lrn.itcin said Thursday.

**\`~II'vP got a big problem in
Tt~s:rx." Bonn said. "You were one uf
Ihzfrr::t &cJ to gel All%. and you
\rercr ~nlong the first slates to have
p! tq.k die front AIDS. But AIDS has
O?V~IUL. e~+~Iy*s problem People
a!ldn't want IO accept that. Kow they
mlYs1.-

St::tr health officials estimate that
Rt.ch*) `f%ms are infected with the
\~ruz th;r! causer acquired immune
01 t~t:c~wy syndrome. By thy end of
;!.`*I 11~ predict. tbe number of
\ t 11% wws will reach 16.2ll9 in the
?`.II~~ ml I~I~I 11.990Tcxans will have
&c*d 111 IIIC disease.

198949 biennium "is not my prob-
Icm."

"Are roads the only thing we shoutd
worry about? Arc prisons the only
thin we should worry about? Is the
Al D!i problem important enough to
ct concerned about? That's what the
& girlaturc and the  overnor have to
ask themselves." sai t! Bernslein.
The Texas Dcpartmenl of Health

spends about $i million a year.
mosllv In federal monpv. on AIDS
rogr&.
e    The agencv 6. strking a
udgl irrreasc of $ti?O.(Ht a gerrr in
AIDS funding. Legislalion also is k-
ing ronsidercd lo make an addiMa1
:;l.aillLy a year available for AIDS

Bernstein said the amount of
money sought I+ the health depart-
mret to battle AIDS pales in rompar-
ison lo stale prison and highway ex-
penditures.

"I just think things in this world
change." said Bernstein. "If you're
going to deal with a  roblem like
AIM in a sophisticate s and proper
way. you have to be able to change
your Ideas. If we grt what we've
asked fur, Texas will bc taking a
great andsiltsificanl slcp forwanl;"

Thr AIDS statistics chirngc on a
daily basis. The lalrst ligurcs indi-
Cole that 2067 AIDS cast% have been
confirmed in Texas with I.290 deaths
rcporlcd. In Ilarris County. 986 AIDS
c;1sm and 645 draths have been re-

corded. Koop said tbe total number of
AIDS cases is expected to incrcaxe
"ninefold" by 1991 and "twentyfold"
among the heterosexual population.
Today, most AIDS victims are ho-
mosextials or drug abusers, but
health o xuerls sav the diiase will
continue io
ualsandrhil ren.
  `8 r&among beterosex-
                  ,
Earlier tbis reek. Rep. Brad

Wright, R-Houston. &airman of the
House Public Health Cammittce. re-
mark4 that the state's budpt crisis
would prcvcnt the Legislrturc from
placing a high priority on funding
AIDS programs
Wright also suggested that AIDS
victims should take some responsibll-
it ie fur their lifestyles and questioned
w  lhcr the state should shoulder the
berlth care costs of people rho have
iro$ the kw. Sodomy b illegal in
Koop. who eicled the nation's
"Aim bill" roll climb to $16 billion
by 1991, took lssuc with Wright's com-
lfienls. -

"As a public beallh offii and a
ewe 6avc to take care of them."
ician I believe when people are

beuid.r'lrcscarepeoplcwbohavt
Iosl their jobs and have no insurance.
Tbcy are dexlilute and essentialI
belplcss and h  Ms. 1 doe? .thin E
mnyow can let 1 %m sit there in that
condiliob."
ThcrebnoknowncufeforAIfB.

an affliction that destroys the body'j
immune system, making victims iii:
creasingly vulnerable lo disease.
AIDS is spread through sexual con-
tact, contaminated needles or blood
transfusions..

Homosexual men and intrave&s
drug users have been the disease's
main victims, but Koop said those
group 910 longer form an exclusive
club. '

The "`best defenses" against AIDS.
said Koop. are lo alxlain from sex or
*maintriP 8 safe. monogamous rela-
tionship." Koup alxo encourages the
USC of ewdoms for lhoae who "have
sex wilh someone known to engage in
high-risk behavior."

`%nyt&ing that will cut down on the
SMead of this disease should be
ti he said. "In addition lo edG
tion. science mnd moriililv are the
most helpful rl!ernalives."S
Koop said children need to be
taught at an early age about AIDS.
"The way I like to see it laught b
p"u y .aod firmly in a non-threaten-
ng. ao&ighternng way starting ia
kindergarten and bring them right
wqh"benid.
"I'd like lo see our
proacb their life with t f ungsten ap-
goin         thought I'm
  to be abstinent until I find mu.
tuft y, ftithful mpnoffamous r&ion-
!
&sb;$l& this LI goad publi&alth
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