Changes Sought in Pennsylvania County AIDS Education

Two Monroe County commissioners have no problem with outreach workers distributing pamphlets about AIDS prevention and even condoms if people ask -- but not in public parks and not to teenagers. "I just think it's the parents' job," said Commission Chair Donna Asure. "It's not our job as the government." Commissioners on Aug. 1 suspended a program administered by the Carbon-Pike-Monroe Drug and Alcohol Commission in Monroe County after learning an outreach worker gave a 13-year-old girl a condom in a playground in a park where younger children were playing.

Commission representatives will continue to talk with county officials about the program to see what, if anything, will change. Under the program, workers visit bars and other places where people at high risk gather. They offer information about avoiding risky behavior and -- if asked -- condoms. It's not clear whether the girl asked for the condom or information. The Monroe County outreach worker, a woman, did nothing wrong in giving the 13-year-old girl a condom, said Drug and Alcohol Commission Executive Director Richard Mroczka. Michael Meehan, commission prevention/intervention supervisor, said the workers approach adolescents who appear to be at least 13 years old. They ask their age and if they want any information on HIV/AIDS and advise the teens to talk with their parents.

The outreach program is operated under contract with AIDSNet, a regional HIV/AIDS coalition in the Lehigh Valley. It is also in place in Carbon County. Pike County has a separate program. As of September, 24 known cases of AIDS existed in Carbon County. There were 157 in Monroe County and 25,000 in Pennsylvania, said commission Program Manager Joe Guardiani.

The state requires drug and alcohol commissions to do community outreach about HIV/AIDS prevention, and a big part of that involves parks and other gathering places. Asure asked that the program be kept out of parks; she suggested workers provide the information in a more supervised setting, such as a YMCA or school program.

Back to other CDC news for August 21, 2002

Previous Updates