Thursday marks World AIDS Day — internationally, one of the most recognized times of year dedicated to health. All over, victims are remembered and survivors are congratulated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College Health Association report 1 in 500 college students are infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which usually develops into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
In hopes to continue improving awareness of the AIDS pandemic, Snow Health Center and the Corner Health Center have responded to the global observance with an educational outlook for Eastern Michigan University students.
First, there’s the quilt — or, part of it.
In conjunction with EMU’s Wellness Center and the Diversity and Community Involvement Center, six blocks (each measuring 12 square feet) of the nationally known AIDS Memorial Quilt will remain on display in the Student Center from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Thursday.
Sophomore Jenny Wyatte said she was moved to tears after witnessing the quilt Tuesday.
“It gave me goosebumps at first, and then I noticed I was crying,” Wyatte said. “It was incredibly touching … Knowing how many stories must be behind all those squares made me appreciate certain things a little more.”
Approximately 44,000 individual 3-by-6-foot panels have been sewn together by family, loved ones and friends of more than 91,000 victims.
All together, it would take someone 33 days spending only one minute per panel to view the patchwork in its entirety, which sizes up at 1,293,000 square feet. So far, the quilt has raised over $4,000,000 in AIDS medical services.
A level of dedication is also used on campus to treat faculty, staff and students. Program Coordinator Eric Ward said the Wellness Center – the top floor of Snow – uses a two-part method in tackling HIV diagnosis: prevention and reaction.
Prevention begins with communication based on a foundation of trust between students and reliable sources like team coaches, the Washtenaw Community Health Service and more to develop a sense of understanding. Then the university uses a bi-annual survey, the National College Health Assessment, as a measuring tool.
“It gives us a general sense of where students are at,” Ward said. “We’ve found that a majority of students actually have monogamous relationships. And they’ve only had one or no sexual relationships within the last 12 months.”
About 400 EMU students participated in the 2010 survey. Results can be seen at http://www.acha-ncha.org/. Likewise, Ward said usually 300-400 students get tested for HIV at Snow Health.
“We’re impressed with our students because it shows they feel, ‘This is my health, and this is how I should respond,’ ” Ward said.
AIDS was first recognized in 1981 and has left those in the medical field puzzled. In 2007, 35,962 cases of AIDS were diagnosed and 14,110 deaths among people living with HIV were reported in the United States.
Testing at Snow Health is performed with cotton swabs and is free from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Results are available after one to two weeks.
Should testing come back positive for a sexually transmitted infection, counseling and psychological services are available for the development of coping skills.
To Ward, there have been positive changes, especially regarding the stigma of disease. Patients try—with the help of counseling—to think of STI’s as medical conditions, not as personal defects.
The Corner Health Center on North Huron Street also offers counseling services for those who have been diagnosed with disease. Education Director Eleanor Anasar said she could not recall anyone who was diagnosed with HIV in several years.
However, the CDC estimates at least half of all new HIV infections in the U.S. are among people under the age of 25. The majority of young people are infected sexually. IV drug-users are at very high risk for HIV infection. Social contact such as kissing with an infected person is not a known risk, but prevention is still vital to eliminate infection.
That being said, Anasar pointed out the Corner’s most widespread approach for prevention—the Theatre Troupe.
Under the guidance of a health educator and actor/playwright at after-school programs, local teenagers are trained to use their insight to create interactive presentations to capture the trust, attention and imagination of audiences, typically those of high-school level – Dexter and Chelsea high schools being a few.
After the skit is performed, Anasar said the audience is allowed to ask questions and the actors answer accordingly while remaining in costume. Eventually the actors break out of costume to talk with their peers on a more serious level. Anasar said this type of learning style has proven immense benefits.
“The students love it,” she said. “It’s peer teaching peer, instead of adults. They ask lots of questions.”
She recalled a particular instance in which an audience member reacted in a way she’ll never forget.
“One time, a boy asked an actor why he didn’t use a condom in his skit,” Anasar said.
“I can’t remember what the actor told him. But anyway, the boy got up, pulled a condom out of his wallet, walked up on stage and gave it to him.”
To Anasar, it was an important breakthrough in reaching children. She said teachers might also sign up for Skill Building Workshops through the Corner to learn about compromising situations.
As far as content requirements for sex and HIV education, they vary from state to state. As of Nov. 1, most state requirements, including those in Michigan, appear spotty.
HIV education—not sex education—is required. And it must be age appropriate as well as medically accurate. Parents are allowed to opt-out.
When provided, sex education does not have to disclose information on contraceptives or sexual orientation, nor is it permitted to providing life skills on family communication.
It must, however, stress abstinence and provide information on the importance of sex only within marriage, negative outcomes of teen sex, as well as include life skills for avoiding coercion and healthy decision-making. HIV education is not required to provide information on condoms but must stress abstinence.
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