CSC, SHS raise awareness of STD prevention as part of World AIDS week

In light of World AIDS Day on Thursday, the Community Service Center has offered testing and other activities meant to raise awareness about AIDS prevention, officials said.

Project Hope manager Maria Gutierrez said that AIDS does not seem to be a prevalent issue in students’ minds today because Boston seems to have AIDS “under control,” but that she hopes the weeklong campaign will inspire students to get tested and receive education about the disease.

“The World AIDS Day events are meant to connect Boston with getting tested and getting involved,” Gutierrez, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said, “[and] to inspire people to make the right choices in their sex life, not only about HIV and AIDS, but [also] the choices in everyday life and how they affect people.”

The CSC and Student Health Services are offering 150 free HIV tests for students this week, a larger number available than in years past.

CAS junior Justin Maillet, the after-school program manager at the CSC, said that students today run the risk of getting not only HIV, but also other sexually transmitted infections as well.

“It’s important for students to know that there are places they can go. There is prevention,” Maillet said.

In addition to free testing, Gutierrez said the CSC will hold testimonial readings at Global Meets Local in the Law Auditorium on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The CSC’s activities are aimed at bringing global issues home to BU.

“This year we wanted to change the plans up to appeal more to emotions rather than being spoken at,” Guiterrez said. “We will be bringing real human faces to the issue.”

A number of BU officials are expected to hold readings, including Howard Thurman Center Director Katherine Kennedy, International Health Associate professor Christopher Gill and Interfraternity Council Vice President Carlos Rey, according to the CSC’s World Aids Day website.

The first in that list especially values the awareness week.

“Education and knowledge about AIDS is as important as other things [students] should have knowledge about,” Kennedy said.

Thursday’s presentation will also give students an opportunity to connect with South Africans and listen to their personal battles with AIDS, Gutierrez said.

This Friday’s Coffee and Conversation at the Howard Thurman Center will hold a World AIDS Day theme and the CSC’s efforts.

“Shuga,” a documentary on how HIV and AIDS affect the lives of young adults in Kenya, will be screened. Georgia Arnold, executive director and founder of MTV’s Staying Alive campaign, and Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore will both be in attendance.

College of Communication sophomore Giulienne Bartolome, who is participating in World AIDS Day, said that the death toll alone should give students incentive to learn more about the issue. More than two million people die every year from AIDS, Bartolome said.

“The videos shown and testimonials that will be presented on Thursday will be extremely important for the cause,” Bartolome said.

People often forget that AIDS not only afflicts those infected, but also separates families and loved ones, said COM junior Kiana Strayhorn.

“World AIDS Day should be important to students because of the immediate impact that it has on the spread of awareness about the disease and how easily it can be prevented everywhere,” Strayhorn said. “As we all know, no one is exempt.”