Only a few decades ago, treatment and prevention options for HIV and AIDS were difficult and often ineffective. Fast forward to today, and the evolution of medical science has provided hope.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs’ LGBTQ Project, the Safe Space Campaign and the Department of Residential Life will host Geaux Red on Wednesday afternoon, a day dedicated to HIV and AIDS awareness.
The event will take place in the Student Union and features free testing and educational workshops teaching methods of prevention and guidelines to safer sex.
Ronda Williams, assistant director in the OMA, said educating students about HIV and AIDS is important to keeping the University safe.
“We have found many college students report they don’t have information about how to protect themselves,” Williams said. “We need that to change and have our students be educated on the subject and to be tested if they are worried about it.”
The state of Louisiana, and Baton Rouge in particular, has higher than average reported cases of HIV and AIDS. The most recent quarterly report on the surveillance of HIV and AIDS from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals shows Baton Rouge and surrounding areas have a problem.
According to the report, the Baton Rouge metropolitan area ranked first nationally (29.4 cases per 100,000 people) in estimated case rate of AIDS and third (41.6 per 100,000) in estimated case rate of HIV. Louisiana ranks third (30.1 per 100,000) and fourth (18.1 per 100,000), respectively, for HIV and AIDS case rates.
Williams said because of where Baton Rouge ranks nationally, students need to be aware of the danger these diseases pose and protect themselves.
“The whole point of the Geaux Red event is to encourage prevention and let students know they can be tested for free,” Williams said. “We want to make this as convenient to the student as possible.”
Williams said modern antiviral drugs allow people to live with the diseases, where in the past there was little to no hope for a positive diagnosis.
“In our day, HIV and AIDS no longer has a face like it did in the past,” Williams said. “These days there are people who live with it every day, and they don’t look sick or any different from anyone else.”
Williams said Geaux Red will help students realize that even while modern medicine has progressed, prevention is the first defense and the best way to keep the diseases from spreading.
“There still is no cure, but I think we can make serious progress in preventing the diseases from spreading in our community,” Williams said. “Our hope is that through education we can make a difference.”