Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, April 11, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC –– U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved over $2 million for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) prevention in Missouri.

"These dollars will help Missouri address a growing health problem, targeting Missourians most at risk," said Bond, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

The Missouri Department of Health will receive $2,147,997 from the CDC for a Comprehensive STD Prevention System.

Missouri's STD Prevention programs assist Missourians in understanding their risk for STD/HIV infection and to reduce their risk for becoming infected or infecting others.

The Comprehensive STD Prevention System includes a number of programs that offer a variety of services, including counseling and intervention, testing, health education and risk reduction, syphilis elimination and programs to reduce the prevalence of STD-related infertility in women.

Kit Bond is Missouri’s senior Senator and is now in his third term after having served the state previously during two terms as Governor.