With red ribbons pinned to their shirts, students and members of the community will raise awareness today for HIV/AIDS in honor of World AIDS Day.
World AIDS Day, celebrated Dec. 1 every year, began in 1998 to show support for those living with HIV/AIDS and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to the virus.
Each year, 2.7 million people worldwide contract the virus, according to a recent study released by UNAIDS, the United Nations agency fighting the disease. In Louisiana, 8,458 people live with HIV, and 10,075 live with AIDS, according to the HIV/AIDS Alliance Region Two, known as HAART.
The city of Baton Rouge ranks second for AIDS case rates in the country, just behind Miami, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With the threat close to home, local organizations are spreading awareness.
ResLife Pride, the Residential Hall Association’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization, and HAART hosted an educational presentation and panel discussion Tuesday in West Campus Apartments for students to learn more about HIV/AIDS.
The event also sponsored an all-day testing center for students in both West and East Campus Apartments. More than 70 students were tested, and none were positive, according to HAART.
The presentation focused on how the virus works, how it is treated and how it can be prevented. Chad Freeman, graduate residence director for Broussard Hall and the Pentagon, said he believes the event will get people talking about the virus.
“There is a large stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS,” Freeman said. “People with the virus look like anybody beauty.”
The panel strongly advocated safe sex and educating youth in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Spectrum, the University’s LGBTQ organization, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority hosted a similar panel discussion on Monday to raise awareness for the virus in partnership with the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative. The groups also sponsored free testing.
Capital Area Phoenix Initiative, an HIV/AIDS organization focused on reducing the stigma associated with the virus and providing resources and counseling, will host a benefit concert for World AIDS Day tonight at Club Culture on Oklahoma Street beginning at 9 p.m.
The LSU Mid City Clinic on North Foster Drive will also host an event honoring the day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Speakers will share thoughts on the issue, and 250 red balloons will be released shortly after. The clinic will also offer free testing at the event.
Karien Laurent, University alumna and CAPI volunteer, said the event, titled (W)rap It Up, will include hip-hop and spoken-word artists. In addition to music, there will be free condoms, informational pamphlets, red bracelets, free testing and discussion about the growing AIDS epidemic in Baton Rouge.
“There are lots of resources available,” Laurent said. “I want AIDS to be an open conversation. It is OK to talk about way.”
 
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Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected]