FAN ANTONIO EXPRESS

By MARK SMITH war 9 7 1987
and TERRY DONAHUE

Expwess News Austin Bureay

AUSTIN — U.S. Surgeon
General C. Everett Koop has
predicted that the annual na-
lional health bill for AIDS vie-
lims will reach $16 billion by
19491.

 

Some 34.00 Americans are ex-
yeeted to die from AIDS that year
alone, Koop said Thursday.

“If sou take all the costs, disrup-
tion of services and time lost from
employment in 1991, you will see a
total bill for America of &70 billion.”
Koop said after a speech to a joint
Session of the Legislature.

liv 1991, Koop said, 16,000 of the
Ziutta AIDS victims in the United
Stites are expected to be Texans,
Some 4400 Texans will be diagnosed
‘for NTDS Thal Vea aA SOME S00
wil die, he said. .

“Hf you hive a monogamous Tela-
Hionslup, keep it. If not, find it,” the
surgeon peneral warned.

“Not only is this disease doubting
every 13 months, it is no longer a dis-
vase of certain groups of people that
“f1tank mostof our-poprtrt inn themes

io thy case,” Koop said, adding:

“It is no longer a discase of white
homosexuals or IV (intravenous)
rug users, but has jumped into the
lu-forosexual population.

Nationally, he said, heterosesuals
make up oniy 4 percent of all re-
ported IDS cases, about 1,220 out of

2.900 cases.

“Gur statisticians estimate the
number of AIDS cases will increase
fold over the next five years —
and that’s a steep curve,” Koop said.

“However, they say the number of
AIDS cases involving heterosexual
people will increase 20-fold — and
that’s a very steep curve,” he added.

Blucks and Hispanics make up a
dis mate share of current
AIDS victims, Koop said. .

Statistics show one out of cight
‘imerivans are black, while one out
at four AIDS victims are black, he

Sit

One out of 12 Americans are His-
Punic, while one out of seven Hispan-
ics are AIDS victims, Koop said.

Hv attributed the disproportionate
rumber of AIDS cases a minor-
ities to a high incidence of ve-
lwus drug use in many inner cities.

Recause there is no cure for AIDS,
Kuop called for either sexual absti-
hence or monogamy.

Nie also aes condom use for
uny sex outside of monogamy.

Although health and insurance
Costs are expected to skyrock
Kowp said monvy alone will not solve
Ihe problem.

“You have to have ‘ and ded-
bee and cas and have a coali-
lion of people willing to together
to get things done,” he sald

State Health Commissioner Rob-
crt Bernstein has asked for about
515 million in additional funds over

euch of the next two years to fund
AIDS education, counseling and
screening in Texas.

“If we get that money, I will be
happy,” he said.

srnstein, asked what would hap-

pen if the Texas Health Department

tailed to the funds because of a

Projected $48 billion bucect shortfall

for the upcoming two-year budget
cycle, said: ,

“Somehow, I think people
important as ”

. Frank Madla, D-San Antonio,

_& member of the House Committee

on Publc Health, said the state at
this time does not have the finances
to adequately fund the department's
request for AIDS education and
mat evention

 

sponsible sex education should start
at an car} age.

“T imagine that, like any-
thing else, the younger you can teach
your child ility, the better
off you are the more control you
can have over your child's behavior,”

The Appropriations Lommitice is
expected (o vote soon on a rider to
the Health Department's budget to
spend $1.2 million on AIDS education
and prevention in fiscal year 1988,
and another $2.2 million in 1989.

Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Anto-
nio, a member of the House Commit-
tee on Public Health, said that other
States spend much more, .

“The statistics are alarming,”

r