Look at Facebook. How many friends do you have?
Fewer than 1,000?
More than 1,000?
Even more than that?
In 2005, the Georgia Division of Public Health reported that in the coastal region of Georgia, there were 426 people out of every 100,000 living with HIV. There were 896 people out of every 100,000 living with AIDS.
A year later, the 2006 US Census estimated that the population of the region was 524,032.
Big numbers, difficult for collegiate art students to understand. But compare those staggering numbers to the number of Facebook friends you have. For every 1,000 people, four of them have HIV and almost nine of them have AIDS. For a disease usually associated with third-world epidemics, even small numbers like nine and four seem all too real.
“Numerous studies demonstrate that although college students are informed about the severity, transmission, and prevention of HIV/AIDS, they continue to participate in unsafe sexual behaviors because they perceive themselves to be invulnerable to the disease,” writes Susan R. Jones, assistant professor of educational policy and leadership at The Ohio State University.
Reported cases of HIV among people under the age of 25 have escalated at an alarming rate since 2005’s GPH study, in part because students believe that they are invincible, that a disease rallied against by George Clooney and Bono couldn’t possibly be lurking within their social realms of circumstance.
Alex Cheves, a third-year writing major and president of SCAD Queers & Allies, is an advocate for participating in the regular throes of college life, but still places particular significance on being educated and safe.
“There’s nothing wrong with sex and having fun,” says Cheves. “You’re in college, you’re free, it makes sense. But there’s this ridiculous self-deception that so many of us college kids partake in: it won’t happen to me, I’ll be safe, there’s no way this person has anything… just once can’t hurt. Truth is, once is all it takes.”
Cheves reiterates that even sexually-active people who don’t show symptoms of any sexually-transmitted disease, should receive a full-range test regularly. SCAD Q&A hosts a quarterly meeting dedicated solely to prevention and the promotion of regular testing.
“When someone amazing comes along and you realize you’ve found one that outshines all the rest, you don’t want to have to say ‘I’m HIV positive’.”
The university offers on-site testing to students at their Memorial Health Services branch on Bull Street, but oftentimes students put off being tested because of their busy schedules and the hefty cost.
Fortunately for students, the Chatham County Health Department is offering free walk-in HIV testing today through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment needed.
“It’s better to know your status,” said Susan Alt, HIV director for the Coastal Health District. “We’ve seen an increase in [diagnosed] cases between the ages of 18 and 24, which is right at college age.”
The Coastal Health District recently received the Ryan White grant, a monetary endowment which funds free testing for youths up to the age of 24. The state health department also provides the branch with free Clearview and Oraquick tests, which produces results in roughly 20 minutes.
Media Relations Manager of the Georgia Department of Public Health, Nancy Nydam, also reports an increase in diagnosed cases over the last 10 years.
“One of the reasons the overall number has increased is because of increases in some of the high risk groups, for example young African American males,” Nydam wrote in an email. “The reasons for the increase aren’t necessarily clear, it could be related to the economy, poverty level. Regardless, we’re seeing an increase. A small part of the increase we’re seeing may be from more people being tested and better coordination among reporting agencies.”
To learn more of updated numbers from 2010, please visit the links and download the PDF files available and remember, sometimes the importance of a test is more than seeing how well you are understanding class content and the outcome is more important than getting an A.
WHO: All students, especially those who are sexually active.
WHAT: Free, walk-in HIV testing
WHERE: 1395 Eisenhower Dr., Savannah
WHEN: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
