While their efforts weren't as cheeky as fashion designer Kenneth Cole's "We all have AIDS" t-shirt campaign, UB groups tried to engage the college as best they could on Wednesday's World AIDS Day.
The AIDS Coalition, a division of Sub-Board I, did what it could to bring the UB community together for World AIDS Day in the Student Union. The coalition, made up of both UB and community groups, set up tables in an effort to educate and remind UB students of the struggles and dangers of living with AIDS
Approximately one in every 500 college students are infected with the AIDS virus, one in every 250 Americans is HIV positive, and in the United States there are about 900,000 people living with HIV.
"We do have a very large HIV community," said Karlene Hafemann, the AIDS Coalition supervisor. "That's why we have this day. It's a great way to raise awareness. It's fun and educational at the same time."
HIV, which stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is what an HIV-positive person is diagnosed with when they have at least one opportunistic infection.
HIV can be transmitted through infected needles, unprotected sex, blood transfusions or from an infected mother to her baby. You can protect yourself by practicing abstinence or using condoms and latex dams, cleaning needles, and being responsible by making sexual partners get tested.
This disease is a global problem, which is why World AIDS day was created in January of 1988 to promote awareness about HIV/AIDS and to educate people on protection internationally. UB's AIDS Coalition was created in October 1991 because of a growing concern on campus with the spread of AIDS.
"It is well deserved and much needed," said Edwin Pieters, a law school student, summing up World AIDS day.
Organizers at this year's event -- including the Wellness Education, Student Health Services, Planned Parenthood of Buffalo, Crisis Services, AIDS Community Services, the NYS Department of Health, UB Students Against Sweatshops, and Health Education and Human Services -- were given the opportunity to educate students about their services.
"I think (this) is fantastic," said Alexis Yancey, a community educator from the AIDS Community Services of WNY. "It's excellent there are so many young people aware of HIV and AIDS. I think it shows that prevention education is working."
In addition to informational pamphlets, tables handed out free condoms and candy and the NYS Health Department offered free rapid tests to students who wanted to get tested on the spot.
"I think this is cool," said Lin Chung, a freshman pharmacy major. "I like the free condoms."
Students could also make a piece of the UB AIDS Quilt. Some of the pieces already on the quilt said things like, "No glove, no love," "knowledge is sexy, get tested" and "I know my status, do you?"
"We had a great student turnout," Hafemann said. "We raised a lot of awareness about HIV and AIDS by providing the students with different resources from the community."
