Every day, about 6,000 people between the ages of 15 to 24 become infected with HIV, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. To put it in perspective: One college-age person is contracting HIV every 14 seconds — every minute of every day — and there is no cure.
This week, the University residence halls and the HIV Alliance of Eugene are sponsoring five events to raise awareness about the threat of HIV. Resident assistant Matthew Strickland said HIV has not been widely discussed on campus during the past few years, and he added this year’s events are especially important.
“HIV is still a very threatening disease, and it’s changing,” Strickland said. “The statistics are staggering. People under 25 now account for half of all new HIV infections in the U.S., and as many as one in three Americans living with HIV or AIDS do not know they have it.”
Events will include discussion panels, movies, games and a candlelight vigil commemorating individuals who have been affected by HIV or AIDS. The goal of the week is to raise awareness of HIV, but Ruthie Rivera, another RA involved in the week’s events, said it takes more than awareness to guard against HIV.
“The only way people can truly protect themselves from HIV is through education,” Rivera said. “And it seems there is not much education about this disease on- or off-campus. Students need to be open to learning about this disease because education will be their biggest defense against contracting it.”
Human immunodeficiency virus progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers by killing or damaging cells of the body’s immunity system according to NIAID. HIV is transmitted through only four bodily fluids: seminal fluid, vaginal fluid, breast milk and blood. It is not spread through saliva, urine or tears.
“Most people feel like they are pretty knowledgeable about HIV,” HIV Alliance gay/bisexual coordinator Curtis Borloglou-Boyd said. “Yet, most people can’t name the four fluids that transfer HIV. People need to be more than aware that this disease exists; they need to understand the disease in order to protect themselves.”
HIV can be spread through unprotected sex, contact with infected blood, injection with contaminated needles or syringes, or from mother to child during pregnancy.
HIV doesn’t just affect one demographic — half of all HIV carriers are women, according to a December report from the National Institute of Health.
Borloglou-Boyd added that the college-age population is seeing an increase in the spread of the disease.
“It’s not to say only people in college are susceptible to HIV, but it’s a good area to tap into and work on education,” he said.
For more information about HIV Awareness Week, contact Matthew Strickland at 346-8104.