Page 8 The Broncos' Voice September, 1991
Cover Story
College Students And AIDS Education; A Lot Is
HIV - Human
Immunodeficiency Virus. ADDS -
Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome. These acronyms have,
unfortunately, been in the
American vocabulary for a
decade now. The number of
people dead (118,411 as of
August 1991) is staggering to
behold. The number possibly
infected (1 million) is numbing.
There are 1925 reported cases of
AIDS in North Carolina alone.
There is an increasing
need, an urgency, to insure that
preventative information reaches
and is comprehended by as many
people
possible.
There is The time to learn
the need is not when you
and or someone you
hope for love is diagnosed
a cure w i ,t h
that can HIV/AIDS....
only be
obtained
through
extensiv
e research, which requires a great
deal of money and time. There is
also the responsibility of taking
care of those who are already
diagnosed with AIDS and
instilling hope in those infected
with the virus.
Tax dollars are currently
allocated to research and
prevention of HIV and AIDS.
However, like so many areas that
require the funds of the
government, there have been
cutbacks and a decrease in
pertinent funding. Although the
Centers for Disease Control
continues to be the primary
center for research, they do
virtually nothing to care for the
many who are dying or those
who need medical treatment to
stave off the numerous
opportunistic infections that are
indicative of HIV infection. You
have a right to demand that tax
monies be spent wisely and
lovingly. It is ludicrous to
allocate more funds for more
patriots missiles when American
citizens and soldiers (yes, there
are military personnel who have
HIV and AIDS) - patriots in their
own right - are dying.
Everyone holds a responsibility
in fighting this horrific disease.
To do less than educating the
ignorant is to fail one’s humanity.
The Voice will do it’s part in
keeping you up to date on the
disease. For this issue, we felt it
necessary to remind college
students that they, too, are at risk
of the virus, the disease, and
worst of all, ignorance. The dme
to learn is not when you or
someone you love is diagnosed
with HIV/AIDS, the time is now!
Fred Sapp is the
coordinator for the Wellness and
Human Sexuality Program at
FSU. He believes that college
students still have a great deal to
learn about AIDS and its related
issues. He stresses that there
should be no limit to what can be
done to educate young people
about this virus.
BV: What are some of the
problems facing AIDS education
on college campuses today?
FS: One of the things you need is
a receptive audience on a college
campus. It’s difficult to find a
receptive audience. First, college
kids are usually young and they
think of themselves as invincible.
Secondly, we're still working
with a group of people who
believe the AIDS stereotype of
white, gay males being the only
ones susceptible to the disease.
Third, there is the difficulty in
showing a relationship between
AIDS and drugs, including
alcohol use.
BV: Do you think there’s a
particular difficulty due to race?
FS: In the Afro-American
community at large? Yes. I’d like
to think there’s a difference on
college campuses. However,
whether white or black, college
students react the same way.
BV: Do you think music, videos
and other forms of popular
entertainment used to spread
AIDS information are helpful?
FS: Yes, I think it helps because
of the heavy reliance on popular
culture. Young people are into
music, videos, and that type of
thing.
BV: Women and people of color
have begun to raise their voices
in protest over the scientific
community’s lack of diversity in
research. Do you think more
research should be conducted in
the college communities?
FS: Yes. Because college
students fall into the level of the
highest incidents of AIDS. In
many instances, students don’t
get information about AIDS and
prevention unul college.
BV: How does alcohol use affect
AIDS and prevention?
FS: Alcohol use mainly effects
the use of prevendve methods,
specifically condoms. We have
found that males and females are
already reluctant to use condoms.
Even though studies seem to
indicate that people are
purchasing more condoms, males
are sdll reluctant to put them on
and females are reluctant to
require males to use them.
Alcohol and drugs tend to effect
judgement and perception.
Teenagers forget or don’t believe
that anyone could have AIDS.
People who would, under
ordinary circumstances, use
condoms, do not when impaired
by drugs and alcohol. They are
much more likely to participate
in unsafe sex.
Left To Leam
BV: How explicit are you willing
to be to get the information out
there?
FS: We get the folks from the
Health Department - Troy
Williams from Mental Health
Center, Willie Snipes, Rita
Starks, Barbara Carraway - They
have hit the female and male
resident halls. They’ve discussed
condoms -all types- dental dams,
you name it. They went through
all the explanations. The point is
not explicitness, but giving the
whole picture of AIDS. We don’t
worry about explicitness. We
worried about getting the point
across.
Those same people have come to
do birth control lectures and
discussions and AIDS
information is distributed there.
B V: What is your biggest hurdle?
FS: Our hurdles have been for
people not to stereotype AIDS.
We’ve been trying to get culture
specific information - in video
form and handout form.
- Text and interview conducted
by Barbara Beebe
Thank You For
NOT Using
Condoms
Your Local
Undertaker