■
Doctors encourage condom use
to prevent the spread of AIDS
By B.|. Thomsen
OffalMnli
Nearly 600 people In the United States
have contracted AIDS through heterosexual
activity, according to figures released Jan. 12
by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.
The number of heterosexuals infected
with the AIDS virus is rising faster than in
other ‘’high-risk” groups, such as among gay
and bisexual men and intravenous drug users.
This is because the virus has only recently
been introduced into the group and because
individuals in high-risk groups have begun
practicing safe-sex techniques while
heterosexuals still consider AIDS a homosex
ual disease, said Dr. David Fleming, deputy
state epidemiologist.
The use of safe-sex practices by risk
groups can be documented because of the
dramatic drop in incidents of other sexually
transmited diseases in those groups. Fleming
said.
Currently in Oregon, there are no cases of
AIDS through heterosexual contact.
About 700 college-aged people in the
United States have contracted the AIDS virus,
said Dr. fames Jackson, director of the Univer
sity’s student health center.
The best defense people have against con
tracting the AIDS virus, aside from abstaining
from sex altogether, is the condom, he said.
Studies show that the AIDS virus cannot
pass through the wall of a condom, said
Jackson.
The AIDS virus is present in blood and
body fluids, primarily semen and vaginal
secretions. Fleming said.
Since 90 percent of male intravenous drug
users are heterosexual, needle sharing is a
primary way for the virus to enter the
heterosexual community. Fleming said.
He also pointed out that the virus in no
way discriminates and can be transmitted from
male to male, male to female and even female
to female if vaginal secretions are passed bet
ween individuals.
Some researchers have found small
amounts of the virus in saliva, but there are no
documented cases of the virus being transmit
ted by kissing. Fleming said. He cautioned
that to be absolutely safe, people should avoid
“deep kissing where saliva is exchanged with
a person known to be carrying the AIDS
virus.”
People who use intravenous drugs or have
had sex with someone who uses intravenous
drugs, people who have sex with bisexual men
and people who have sex with prostitutes, are
all at risk. Jackson said.
The drug AZT seems to prevent replica
tion of the AIDS virus. Jackson said, but it is
not a cure.
Condoms
Continued from Page 1
unable to give any opinion on
the topic because of the relative
newness of the controversy.
State health department of
ficials and AIDS activists are en
couraging broadcasters to con
sider allowing the adver
tisements to appear.
Robert McAllister, the
Oregon State Health Division
AIDS program coordinator, said
condoms are extremely impor
tant in preventing people from
contracting the AIDS virus, and
by allowing the ads on televi
sion, broadcasters would be
raising public consciousness.
"Many broadcasters and cer
tain segments of society may see
advertising condoms as adver
tising birth control. That’s not
the issue in this context,"
McAllister said. "This is not
birth control, it’s disease con
trol."
Scott Seibert, chairman of the
Mid-Valley Action Committee,
an AIDS education group, said
many television programs pro
mote irresponsible sexual ac
tivity. He sees advertising con
doms as promoting responsible
sexual activity.
"To deny advertising con
doms is signing the death war
rants of people who need to
know that information," Seibert
said.
Stations in the Eugene/Spr
ingfield area have been forced
to think about and develop
some kind of policy toward con
dom advertising in case they
ever are approached by condom
manufacturers or other groups
wanting to advertise condoms
as an AIDS preventative.
KMTR, the NBC affiliate in
the area, already has adopted a
condom advertising policy,
although they have yet to
receive a request from anyone
wishing to advertise, said sta
tion president and general
manager Bob Davis.
“We have decided to accept
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advertising for condoms,” he
said. “They will be subject to
copy approval and a time
restriction. We’re labeling
them as adult products, so they
can only be aired between 9
a.m. and 3 p.m. and after 9 p.m.
on weekdays.”
Davis said the reasoning
behind the decision was quite
coincidental.
“I had just run into our
former assistant program direc
tor at a meeting in Los Angeles.
She now is working at KRON
and was telling me about their
new policy,” he said. “When 1
got back, I was asked by our
news team what our policy was
because they were doing a
special program on the topic. At
that time, we didn’t have a
policy.
”1 feel very comfortable with
the decision." Davis said. ”1
have teenage daughters, and 1
would rather have them aware
of the situation than in the
dark.”
Bruce Liliegren at KEZI
believes the station would
seriously consider airing con
dom advertising, although like
KMTR, they have not rtH:eived
any request to do so. he said.
“There may be a cry from a
certain section of the communi
ty (if any ads are aired), but I
don’t know how loud that cry
will be,” he said. “We try to
program to a majority of our au
dience. and 1 believe a majority
of our audience will support
condom advertising.”
Liljegren said he will be sur
prised if any of the condom
manufacturers choose to test the
ads in the Kugene/Springfield
area before other major markets.
Jim Putney, the KVAL station
manager, expressed some con
cern about the issue.
“We are not at the present
time accepting any condom
advertising.” he said. “This is
an extremely sensitive area. We
don’t want to promote the usage
of condoms in a 'Sex is okay
with the use of a condom’
manner.”
Putney believes that his sta
tion and the broadcasting pro
fession have a responsibility to
serve the public’s best interest.
Turn to Condoms, Page 12
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