World AIDS Day brings disease to public eye

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 will mark the twenty first observation of World AIDS Day, an international day of awareness that aims to raise the level of understanding about the AIDS pandemic. Here at UND, the Student Health Promotion Office will be participating in the event for the ninth consecutive year, by holding events to educate the community about the threat posed by HIV/AIDS.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were approximately 1.1 million individuals in the United States living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2006, and as many as 21 percent of those persons are unaware that they are infected. Worldwide, there are now 33.2 million people living with the disease. "I think the most prevalent misconception that we run across is that AIDS affects only certain populations or certain communities," says Irene Guya-Allen, a PhD student in counseling psychology and a graduate assistant in charge of student sexual health at the Student Health Promotion Office.

She went on to say, "The fact is, AIDS can affect anyone. AIDS is a disease that is global."

Guya-Allen initially got involved in working to combat HIV/AIDS in her native Kenya, where she volunteered for the Red Cross by working with children who were orphaned as a result of the AIDS pandemic. "There is a serious need for basic education for our young men and women and this knowledge drives my involvement to this day."

Guya-Allen will be speaking about her experience at a panel discussion to be held on December 1, at 4:30 p.m. at the Era Bell Thompson Multicultural Center.

Vincent Bulus, who also has firsthand experience working with HIV/AIDS, will join her in speaking. Students and community members alike are invited to attend. The event will be followed by a game of HIV Jeopardy, at which students will have an opportunity to win prizes while expanding their knowledge of the disease.

One message that Guya-Allen hopes that students will take away from World AIDS Day efforts is, "Get tested. It is important to know your HIV status, and learn how to protect yourself. Of course the best way to protect yourself is abstinence, but if you choose to be sexually active, wear a condom. Only have one partner, where you both know what your HIV status is. This will reduce your chances of contracting the virus."

Many options are available to UND students to assist their efforts to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Free condoms and dental dams are available at the Student Health Promotion Office located in the Memorial Union, as well as from the Student Health Pharmacy, located in McCannel Hall.