AIDS education is pushed

State health officials fear Utah teens aren't getting the education they need to stop the spread of AIDS — a concern that's grabbed the attention of a state lawmaker.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, has drafted a bill to require HIV/AIDS prevention be taught in schools. The bill was sought by Twinkle Chisholm, who does pro bono public relations work for the Utah AIDS Foundation.

"We see young people who are infected — and they don't test positive overnight. They have been infected for some time," Chisholm said. "Clearly, they are not getting the education they need. And when Bill Frist isn't sure whether AIDS is spread by tears, we have an education problem."

HIV/AIDS prevention is part of the state core curriculum. While educators say it's being taught, they acknowledge lessons vary.

Here's why: At the core of AIDS education is sex education, restricted in recent years and largely left in the hands of local school leaders.

"(Instruction) varies from district to district and . . . without a better term, the morality of the community," said Frank Wojtech, health and P.E. specialist at the State Office of Education. "Some teach to the very extent of the law, and others are quite limited."

HIV/AIDS incident rates for 13- to 24-year-olds basically have plateaued, while every other age group's have been going down.

Thirteen percent of Utahns infected with HIV/AIDS are teenagers or young adults, ages 13-24. Almost all live along the Wasatch Front. Three-fourths are male. And while most are whites, the number of minorities infected is disproportionate to the size of their populations.

From the years 1994-2001, an average of 14 cases in that age group were reported each year, according to Utah Department of Health epidemiological data.

"The numbers seem small," Chisholm said. "But if 14 kids a year were being run over by buses, something would happen."

Utah's health core curriculum, which says what must be taught in public schools, includes communicable disease prevention across grade levels.

The secondary health core curriculum touches on sexually transmitted disease and HIV/AIDS education. It requires talks on transmission and prevention, including "abstinence from sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after marriage" and "correct condom use per package instructions."