• Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Illinois Review
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
Illinois Review
No Result
View All Result
Home Illinois News

Phelps: An HIV/AIDS Prevention Message For America’s Youth

Illinois Review by Illinois Review
December 7, 2015
in Illinois News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
26
SHARES
435
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

O-SECRET-LIFE-OF-THE-AMERICAN-TEENAGER-CANCELED-facebook

By Scott Phelps - 

Charlie Sheen’s HIV diagnosis comes as a great surprise to Hollywood and the rest of the nation. Sheen says that the news of his infection was “a mule-kick to my soul.” Indeed. The news is particularly startling because HIV in the U.S. is an extremely rare disease even among those who like Charlie Sheen are notoriously promiscuous.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are an estimated 20,000,000 cases of sexually transmitted diseases per year in the United States. Of these infections, an estimated 41,000 are HIV. This means HIV represents less than one quarter of one percent of all STDs. This isn’t to minimize concerns about HIV but rather to place it in context with other STDs such as human papilloma virus, chlamydia, and herpes for example.

You might also like

Illinois GOP Leader Larry Smith Advises Against Attending Pro-Second Amendment Meeting

Chicago Mayor Claims ‘Affordable Housing’ is the Key to Reducing Crime in Awkward MSNBC Interview

Pritzker Threatens Backers of National Guard in Chicago During Press Conference: ‘We’re Taking Names’

Sheen’s news is especially surprising because while HIV is rare, it is almost unknown among white heterosexual men in the U.S. Of the estimated 41,000 annual cases of sexually transmitted HIV, the CDC estimates that white heterosexual males account for just 422 of those cases. That estimate is about 40 percent higher than the reported 305 cases in the current report. In other words, the high-water CDC estimate is that white heterosexual men account for just 1 percent of HIV cases in the U.S. So yes, Charlie Sheen’s news is a big surprise.

With Hollywood, the internet, and the entertainment media being the primary educators of our youth in today’s culture, those of us who are parents and teachers have our work cut out for us to wrestle back our roles as primary educators on these matters. The CDC provides helpful guidelines:

“School systems should make programs available that will enable and encourage young people who have not engaged in sexual intercourse and who have not used illicit drugs to continue to:

  • Abstain from sexual intercourse until they are ready to establish a mutually monogamous relationship within the context of marriage.

  • Refrain from using or injecting illicit drugs.”

“For young people who have engaged in sexual intercourse or who have injected illicit drugs, school programs should enable and encourage them to:

  • Stop engaging in sexual intercourse until they are ready to establish a mutually monogamous relationship within the context of marriage.

  • To stop using or injecting illicit drugs.”

This is the primary prevention message on HIV/AIDS of which we hear far too little and is virtually unknown to America’s youth.

On World AIDS Day and throughout the year, we who are parents, pastors, and educators would do well to provide a clear, honest, simple message for our youth: “HIV is an almost entirely preventable disease and the best way to avoid infection is to save all sexual activity for marriage.”

Charlie Sheen says he will now work to help others avoid his fate. If he will promote this primary message he will succeed where many have failed and will leverage his pain for the good of others. We wish him all the best in this noble effort.

Scott Phelps is executive director of the Abstinence & Marriage Education Partnership near Chicago.

Related

Tags: Illinois Review
Share10Tweet7
Previous Post

New law affecting pawnbrokers draws criticism

Next Post

Illinois Filing Deadline Passes, Along With 2 Democratic Takeover Opportunities

Illinois Review

Illinois Review

Recommended For You

Illinois GOP Leader Larry Smith Advises Against Attending Pro-Second Amendment Meeting

by Illinois Review
August 28, 2025
0
Illinois GOP Leader Larry Smith Advises Against Attending Pro-Second Amendment Meeting

By Illinois ReviewLarry Smith, a member of the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee and chairman of the LaSalle County GOP, reportedly urged people not to attend a...

Read moreDetails

Chicago Mayor Claims ‘Affordable Housing’ is the Key to Reducing Crime in Awkward MSNBC Interview

by Illinois Review
August 26, 2025
0
Chicago Mayor Claims ‘Affordable Housing’ is the Key to Reducing Crime in Awkward MSNBC Interview

By Illinois ReviewDuring a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sidestepped questions about the city’s police shortage, instead insisting that “affordable housing” is the...

Read moreDetails

Pritzker Threatens Backers of National Guard in Chicago During Press Conference: ‘We’re Taking Names’

by Illinois Review
August 25, 2025
0
Pritzker Threatens Backers of National Guard in Chicago During Press Conference: ‘We’re Taking Names’

By Illinois ReviewAt a dramatic Monday afternoon press conference in downtown Chicago – flanked by nearly every major Democrat in the region – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered...

Read moreDetails

Sources: GOP Mega-Donor Dick Uihlein Sitting Out Illinois Governor Primary

by Illinois Review
August 25, 2025
0
Sources: GOP Mega-Donor Dick Uihlein Sitting Out Illinois Governor Primary

By Illinois ReviewAs the Republican primary for Illinois governor takes shape, billionaire mega-donor Richard Uihlein’s name is once again circulating in political circles.In recent weeks, advisers connected to...

Read moreDetails

From Murder Capital to Migrant Crisis: Why Trump Must Deploy the National Guard to Chicago

by Mark Vargas
August 24, 2025
0
From Murder Capital to Migrant Crisis: Why Trump Must Deploy the National Guard to Chicago

By Rod Blagojevich and Mark Vargas OpinionWhile Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson tout drops in homicides, robberies and shootings, the fact is Chicago remains...

Read moreDetails
Next Post

Illinois Filing Deadline Passes, Along With 2 Democratic Takeover Opportunities

Please login to join discussion

Best Dental Group

Related News

IL Freedom Caucus calls on Lurie Children’s Hospital to cease gender services for kids

October 27, 2022

Beckman: Is the Brigham Young University racial slur controversy another hoax?

October 27, 2022

Salvi polling shows closer race

October 27, 2022

Browse by Category

  • America First
  • Education
  • Faith & Family
  • Foreign Policy
  • Health Care
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • Opinion
  • Science
  • Second Amendment
  • TRENDING
  • US NEWS
  • US Politics
  • World News
Illinois Review

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • Checkout
  • Home
  • Home – mobile
  • Login/Register
  • Login/Register
  • My account
  • My Account-
  • My Account- – mobile

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • Health Care
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • TRENDING
  • Education
  • Foreign Policy
  • Second Amendment
  • Faith & Family
  • Science
  • World News

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?