Louisiana’s fickle winter weather turned cold and rainy Tuesday, dampening the spirits of all but five students, who came to the AIDS Vigil in the Atchafayla Room in the Union. The event’s cancellation sparked the coordinators to discuss ways to get more students tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other sexually transmitted diseases, and to encourage students to promote awareness in the community.
The coordinators, including members from the Student Health Center, Residential Life, the African American Cultural Center and Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge, as well as other organizations, spoke of their concern about why no one who has yet been tested for HIV on campus has tested positive for HIV.
Though this may seem like a positive statistic, Molly Phillips, an HIV prevention coordinator for Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge who administers the tests at the University, said this means the population considered “high risk” is not getting tested.
Phillips said high-risk behavior includes having multiple sex partners, never using condoms, using intravenous drugs, sharing needles and self-tattooing or body piercing.
Amy Cavender, a Student Health Center coordinator, said the statistic also is detrimental to continuing government funding for the testing. The government requires a 1 percent positive rate of HIV detection for funding programs, such as the free HIV testing at the Women’s Center.
Cavender said students confuse the HIV testing in the Women’s Center, which is available to both women and men, and testing in the Women’s Health Clinic, which is part of the Student Health Center, available only to women.
“Demographic doesn’t mean you’re doomed, but it doesn’t mean you’re okay either,” said Lynn Kimball, training and development coordinator for Residential Life, referring to how some people do not seriously consider the risks because they have a mindset that certain groups are excluded from the dangers of HIV because of such factors as their sexual orientation.
Whatever the reasons for the low turnout, Phillips said, HIV is a public health issue that must be addressed as such.
The HIV test is the only sexually transmitted disease test that is confidential, Phillips said.
“There is so much confidentiality to protect people, but we forget it is a health issue,” Phillips said. “It is a medical disease that is highly-preventable, not just a social issue. It is easily prevented if people take precautions.”
Jason Meier, assistant director of programs at the LSU Union, said involving STD awareness into health-related events on campus could reach a diverse student population.
The group also discussed a possible AIDS walk that could start downtown and go through high-risk neighborhoods.
“It would be a chance for LSU to visibly be out in the front lines,” said Ike Netters, coordinator of multicultural programming for the African American Cultural Center.