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Gay man tapped to lead CDC's HIV division
Fenton says top goal is addressing complacent gay, bisexual men
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By Dyana Bagby
Friday, February 03, 2006
As a gay black man, Dr. Kevin Fenton acknowledges his life experiences will influence how he manages his new post as director of the National Center for HIV, STD & TB Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
But it's his career as a public health official that will play the most important role as he works to curb the rising rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. and globally, Fenton stressed.
"Yes, my experiences will have influence. But I have many identities. It is my commitment to public health and my commitment to serve the American people and the global community that is most important," Fenton said in an interview with Southern Voice Jan. 31.
Fenton took over his new post at the Atlanta-based CDC on Jan. 23. He served as the chief of the CDC's National Syphilis Elimination Effort during 2005 before being appointed to his new job in November. He has worked in research, epidemiology and the prevention of HIV and other STDs since 1995 and was previously the director of the HIV & STI Department at the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency.
But though Fenton is gay, the CDC is not touting him as a gay official in its public press materials. Gay activist Michael Petrelis said he finds that troubling.
"Why should we care? Because it is significant to have a black health official talking to other black people. If he isn't known as a gay black man, the CDC loses an opportunity to be effective. Is the CDC closeting him because they fear conservative backlash from the Bush administration?" Petrelis said.
Jessica Frickey, a CDC spokesperson, said it is agency policy to not release personal information to the public.
Fenton himself declined to speak about his personal life or provide his age in an interview this week. He said, just two weeks into the job, that he wanted to focus on his vision as director of the STD prevention center.
Prevention complacency
Fenton said one of his top goals is to address complacency among gay and bisexual men when it comes to HIV prevention efforts. Gay and bisexual men continue to be the largest group affected by HIV, with the most recent CDC report showing men who have sex with men making up 44 percent of new infections in 33 reporting states.
"We have lost a lot of the harrowing images of the '80s of people dying, we have a new cohort of young people who may not know anybody affected by AIDS, and there's been a shift with effective therapies where HIV is not seen as a death sentence," Fenton said. "One of the biggest challenges is complacency, which is a huge battle in the U.S."
Recreational drug use among some gay men, such as using crystal methamphetamine and engaging in unsafe sex, contributes to rising HIV rates, Fenton said. And while it is important to find innovative ways to educate gay and bisexual men of the dangers of such high-risk behavior, it is also important to understand the nature of drub abuse within this group, he said.
"There is no single magic bullet [to eliminating HIV]. I think my unique contribution will be to bring in a wider perspective and a more holistic approach," Fenton said.
HIV funding
Fenton said he was not discouraged by news this week that nearly 25 percent of President George W. Bush's $15 billion effort to fight AIDS went directly to religious groups that typically advocate abstinence and fidelity over condom use.
"First, we welcome the fact that additional funding is going to HIV and STD prevention as a whole - it's good to see the additional investment," Fenton said.
"As far as abstinence, we need to remember it is part of a comprehensive approach that might be particularly relevant for young people as well. The other parts include modifying high-risk behaviors and using condoms. An investment to one arm doesn't necessarily mean it's the only arm."
But an official with the Washington, D.C.-based American Academy of HIV Medicine hopes Fenton can rein in some of the Bush administration's ideology when it comes to HIV prevention methods.
"The fact that he brings vast experience in sexual health to the table, along with his personal commitment to the black communities and the GLBT community, bodes well in this time of increasing HIV infections and STDs," said Howard Grossman, executive director of the group.
"We also hope that he will bring the more realistic approach of the British health authorities to these epidemics, a scientific approach which has been far more successful than the politically - and religiously - motivated methods that have been forced on the CDC by the U.S. government," he added.
The Christian Medical Association, a socially conservative organization that opposes homosexuality, declined to comment on Fenton's appointment.
Targeting gay black men
Fenton helped author "Good practice guidelines for HIV health promotion with black gay and bisexual men" for the Gay Men Fighting AIDS organization in London. African-American gay and bisexual men are perhaps the population most at risk for HIV, he said.
"There are a number of risk groups we are concerned about and African-American men who have sex with men is perhaps at the top of that list," he said. "It is crucial we understand why - racism, homophobia, poor access to health care - all these contribute. I'll be working with the CDC to look at ways to mobilize these communities."
Craig Washington, volunteer and training coordinator for Positive Impact, an HIV advocacy group in Atlanta, said Fenton's appointment leaves him hopeful.
"Having an openly gay black man certainly offers promise for heightened visible and demonstrable commitment to enhancing prevention efforts and prioritizing at long last the lives of gay and bisexual black men," he said.
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