Every high school junior should get HIV test, Pfleger says

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 10/08/2006 | Cathleen Falsani

[Mike Bates]

A Chicago Roman Catholic priest who has battled drug dealers, big tobacco and alcohol companies during the last 30 years has turned his attention toward AIDS and advocating for sweeping mandatory HIV testing in Illinois.

During a speech Friday at the Union League Club, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church in Auburn-Gresham, said he intends to rally religious and political leaders to take radical steps to combat AIDS in the black community.

"It's destroying the human family, it's wiping out the African-American family, and it's wiping out future generations, particularly in the communities that I live in and work in, while we sit back and we're dealing with HIV just like we dealt with drugs and breast cancer: We're in denial," Pfleger said.

ACLU sees problems

"Every high school junior should be tested every year in the state of Illinois to find out if they're HIV-positive. And we should also test in all of our prisons every single year. We're not testing, and people are getting HIV in prison and then coming back out and giving this disease to sisters and brothers in the community," he said.

Pfleger also said churches should offer HIV/AIDS screenings at least once a year. "Then if people find out they have it, we give them the medical attention they need," he said.

Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union in Illinois, said government-mandated AIDS testing is problematic.

"We would have no disagreement that we ought to create an environment in which people learn about their [HIV] status. The only disagreement is with the government determining when and where and how the testing should be done," Yohnka said.

cfalsani@suntimes.com

[Mike Bates]

I say that Michael Pfleger should be made to undergo polygraph examination every year to determine whether he has molested any children.

As long as he can turn out a press release and hold a press conference, he might be willing.

[Judith Anne]

If people insist on interfering with nature and want to have aids testing, I would say ok under one condition. If the test is paid for with taxpayer money the taxpayers would then have a right to know the result of their test. All test results would be made public. Public money, public answers. Those who have relations with those listed publicly as having aids, would have no one to blame but themselves, if they were to get aids, and they would have no claim on taxpayer funds to interfere with the natural progression of aids in their system.

Absolutely I agree.

[GSlob]

Well, testing by itself would not do much - what would, or could, do anything is what would be done after testing, by and to those who come positive.

[Guenevere]

So why do you still attend?

[rzeznikj at stout]

Yep.

It's supposed to be the People, but...

[rzeznikj at stout]

So would I--though that only would have been four years ago...8^)