On June 26th the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) joined together to promote the "respectful engagement and cooperative partnerships" with Internet-based providers through a letter of statement and call to action addressed to Dr. Kevin Fenton (director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) The letter also calls for the aggressive marketing and widespread use of the NCSD's "National Guidelines for Internet-based STD and HIV Prevention. This call “to strengthen the existing partnerships with Internet-based providers”, is the fruit of a collaborative effort between the two major players in the STD/HIV field.
The letter continues, stressing that "there be a balance between the legitimate commercial interests of the venues and the urgent public health concerns of the community". This well crafted, intelligent and realistic statement also recognizes that: "The most successful partnerships in this area are the product of mutually respectful engagement that understands and accommodates the priorities of both business and public health".
As public health moves ever closer to integration, the Internet continues be both a challenge and an opportunity for creative and effective programs built on the increased possibilities brought about by integration, collaboration, and cooperation.
The letter can be found online at www.stdpreventionon
[thanks to Stephan and Beau for passing this info along]
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