Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about the birth rate in the Northwest Territories and the potential effects of this. Mr. Speaker, we often speak about the forced growth in the Northwest Territories. Our birth rate is three to five times higher than the national average. Of course, this means spiralling costs for education, health and social services. Many of our young people are having babies in their teens and this should cause us even greater alarm, Mr. Speaker, than the fiscal reality that it costs money. I am talking about the potential for spreading infectious diseases. Last week, there was an article in the Globe and Mail concerning the spread of HIV, AIDS, and I would just like to read a little bit out of it.
"The epidemic of HIV infection appears to be growing especially among drug users and young people of both sexes who Health Canada officials say are ignoring warnings about risky sex. The average age for new infections is now 23 years of age down from 32 in the early 1980s. This means that a significant number of people now being diagnosed with HIV must have been infected as teenagers because there can be a long delay between contracting the virus and diagnoses. The rate of new infections has declined dramatically among older Canadians who are apparently taking precautions because they have seen the illness and death among their peers but it has climbed among those in their teens and early 20s, Health Canada said. The fact that the average age is 23 means that half of all new cases occur in people 23 years of age and younger. If we are going to prevent new infections we will have to aim at a much younger population," said Dr. Sutherland from Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our young people are our most precious resource and I urge this government to develop and implement a program so we can reach our young people and get them to at least take precautions if they insist on having sex at such a young age. Thank you.
-- Applause