The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said Atlanta’s HIV rate is comparable to that of a developing nation, and people 13-24 years old make up about one-quarter of all new cases. But Georgia schools are falling short in addressing the epidemic.
In 2013, when John Barge headed the Department of Education, it passed up an estimated $1.9 million in CDC funding for a more comprehensive HIV education curriculum. A DOE spokesperson confirmed that officials felt uncomfortable including questions regarding sexual behavior on the curriculum’s required survey of students.
Georgia was shortlisted to receive the grant because it has the fifth-highest rate of HIV in the nation. According to statistics from the Department of Public Health, more than 600 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2014 in Fulton County alone.
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