The National Education Association last week unveiled a campaign designed to counter misinformation about acquired immune deficiency syndrome and prevent its spread among young people.
“In the absence of a medical breakthrough, education is the only tool we have to stop the spread of aids,” said Mary Hatwood Futrell, the union’s president, at a press conference here.
As part of its campaign, the teachers’ union has joined with the United States Public Health Service, the National Association of School Nurses, Inc., and Merrell Dow Phar4maceuticals, to create a health-information network. The network’s first aids project, an informational booklet, was distributed earlier this month to the nea’s 1.9 million members.
In October, the network will release a made-for-television film about the disease as part of a national aids-prevention month.
Noting that controversy surrounds aids education, Mary Futrell said three nea affiliates were working this fall to help their communities reach a consensus on how best to deal with the aids issue.
