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College Embraces HIV/AIDS Fight
By James Fuller Daily Herald Staff Writer
It's been nearly three years to the day since U2 lead singer Bono rocked students and faculty at Wheaton College with the message that they have a moral obligation to battle HIV and AIDS at home and abroad.
Thursday, the 18th World AIDS Day, the message was the same, but the faces behind it were both more local and more international.
On a grassy patch known as "The Quad" in front of the science building, photographed faces of a few dozen AIDS orphans stared out at passers-by in hopes that some would stop, read the stories and "adopt" one of them.
In the science building behind the photos, Kristen Page took a gathering of students and staff through AIDS 101. Page is a disease ecologist and fielded questions about life expectancy, drug costs and treatments, and the history of the disease.
Her lecture trod into some sensitive territory for the conservative Christian college. Homosexuality, the use of condoms, multiple sex partners - none of them are the hallmarks of the beliefs taught at the school.
But no one seemed to be judging. In fact, the school is tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis as a campuswide project in some senses.
Page said college faculty members are looking to integrate AIDS education across various subject areas to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the disease.
Associate Professor Christine Gardner will teach the college's first class solely dedicated to the disease next fall. It will be titled "The Rhetoric of AIDS."
It could serve many of the students well in the near future.
Many students are involved locally with Canticle Ministries, a group dedicated to HIV/AIDS care and education in DuPage County. Thirty-two new HIV cases and 23 new AIDS cases were diagnosed in the county in the first eight months of 2005, both increases over the same time period last year.
Students will host a Christmas party for some of those patients in a couple of weeks.
Even more, some Wheaton College students will soon head off to Africa for various internships and service projects.
One of those students is David Peyton Jr., who is most likely headed to Rwanda. But Thursday, Peyton was occupied with spreading information about HIV/AIDS and firing up fellow students to take action. He is president of the campus' Student Global AIDS Campaign organization.
By 10:45 a.m., a board that started with the names of nearly 50 Chicago-area AIDS orphans looking for adoption for the holidays has only two names remaining. All 2,400 students, and most of the cooking staff in the cafeteria, had received red AIDS ribbons to wear for the day.
They are signs that the college has embraced the AIDS cause as a shared mission, Peyton said.
"The students tend to really support what we're doing," he said. "The college is handling it in a responsible way. I don't think we could ask for a more supportive administration. Today is about bringing people together to fight this despite any differences."
How much do you know about AIDS?
It's a global health problem the likes of which humanity has seldom seen, an incurable disease spreading quickly around the world killing millions each year.
It's AIDS.
Around the globe, leaders, activists and victims used World AIDS Day Thursday to send the message that stronger action is needed in the battle against this devastating disease.
It also may be a good time to check your own AIDS awareness.
Q. How bad is the global AIDS epidemic?
A. The disease kills 8,000 people every day worldwide or about 2.9 million per year.
Q. How does that compare with cancer?
A. Cancer deaths average about 7 million worldwide each year.
Q. How many people have HIV now?
A. In 2005, more than 3 million people acquired HIV, which means there are now more than 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS.
Q. I've heard HIV is worst in Africa. Is that true?
A. Yes. The latest U.N. estimates say 26 million of the 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide live in Africa.
How the disease really spreads
World AIDS Day was marked by countries around the globe Thursday. Here are some frequently asked questions about AIDS and the HIV virus.
Q. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
A. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus known to cause AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. If someone is HIV-positive, it means they have been infected with the virus. Those infected with HIV do not have AIDS until the virus seriously damages their immune system, making them vulnerable to a range of infections, some of which can lead to death.
Q. Is HIV easily spread? Can I get if from a kiss or casual contact?
A. You can get HIV in four ways: unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner (the most common); sharing needles or other contaminated injection or skin-piercing equipment; blood and blood products through, for example, infected transfusions and organ or tissue transplants; transmission from infected mother to child in the womb or at birth and breastfeeding.
Q. I'm HIV positive. Where can I go for information about treatments?
A. The CDC National AIDS Hotline can offer practical information on maintaining health and general information about a wide variety of treatments, including antiretrovirals and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections. The hotline numbers are (800) 342-2437 (English), (800) 344-7432 (Spanish), and (888) 480-3739 (TTY). The CDC National AIDS Hotline can also provide referrals to national treatment hotlines, local AIDS Service Organizations and HIV/AIDS- knowledgeable physicians.
Q. Do the new drugs I hear about cure you?
A. The new drugs are a class of anti-HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors. There is no cure for AIDS, but these drugs are helping to prolong the lives of many people with AIDS and delaying the onset of AIDS in many people with HIV. There is no standard treatment for everyone. A health care provider will discuss individual options.
- Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, aids.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
By James Fuller Daily Herald Staff Writer
It's been nearly three years to the day since U2 lead singer Bono rocked students and faculty at Wheaton College with the message that they have a moral obligation to battle HIV and AIDS at home and abroad.
Thursday, the 18th World AIDS Day, the message was the same, but the faces behind it were both more local and more international.
On a grassy patch known as "The Quad" in front of the science building, photographed faces of a few dozen AIDS orphans stared out at passers-by in hopes that some would stop, read the stories and "adopt" one of them.
In the science building behind the photos, Kristen Page took a gathering of students and staff through AIDS 101. Page is a disease ecologist and fielded questions about life expectancy, drug costs and treatments, and the history of the disease.
Her lecture trod into some sensitive territory for the conservative Christian college. Homosexuality, the use of condoms, multiple sex partners - none of them are the hallmarks of the beliefs taught at the school.
But no one seemed to be judging. In fact, the school is tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis as a campuswide project in some senses.
Page said college faculty members are looking to integrate AIDS education across various subject areas to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the disease.
Associate Professor Christine Gardner will teach the college's first class solely dedicated to the disease next fall. It will be titled "The Rhetoric of AIDS."
It could serve many of the students well in the near future.
Many students are involved locally with Canticle Ministries, a group dedicated to HIV/AIDS care and education in DuPage County. Thirty-two new HIV cases and 23 new AIDS cases were diagnosed in the county in the first eight months of 2005, both increases over the same time period last year.
Students will host a Christmas party for some of those patients in a couple of weeks.
Even more, some Wheaton College students will soon head off to Africa for various internships and service projects.
One of those students is David Peyton Jr., who is most likely headed to Rwanda. But Thursday, Peyton was occupied with spreading information about HIV/AIDS and firing up fellow students to take action. He is president of the campus' Student Global AIDS Campaign organization.
By 10:45 a.m., a board that started with the names of nearly 50 Chicago-area AIDS orphans looking for adoption for the holidays has only two names remaining. All 2,400 students, and most of the cooking staff in the cafeteria, had received red AIDS ribbons to wear for the day.
They are signs that the college has embraced the AIDS cause as a shared mission, Peyton said.
"The students tend to really support what we're doing," he said. "The college is handling it in a responsible way. I don't think we could ask for a more supportive administration. Today is about bringing people together to fight this despite any differences."
How much do you know about AIDS?
It's a global health problem the likes of which humanity has seldom seen, an incurable disease spreading quickly around the world killing millions each year.
It's AIDS.
Around the globe, leaders, activists and victims used World AIDS Day Thursday to send the message that stronger action is needed in the battle against this devastating disease.
It also may be a good time to check your own AIDS awareness.
Q. How bad is the global AIDS epidemic?
A. The disease kills 8,000 people every day worldwide or about 2.9 million per year.
Q. How does that compare with cancer?
A. Cancer deaths average about 7 million worldwide each year.
Q. How many people have HIV now?
A. In 2005, more than 3 million people acquired HIV, which means there are now more than 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS.
Q. I've heard HIV is worst in Africa. Is that true?
A. Yes. The latest U.N. estimates say 26 million of the 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide live in Africa.
How the disease really spreads
World AIDS Day was marked by countries around the globe Thursday. Here are some frequently asked questions about AIDS and the HIV virus.
Q. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
A. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus known to cause AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. If someone is HIV-positive, it means they have been infected with the virus. Those infected with HIV do not have AIDS until the virus seriously damages their immune system, making them vulnerable to a range of infections, some of which can lead to death.
Q. Is HIV easily spread? Can I get if from a kiss or casual contact?
A. You can get HIV in four ways: unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner (the most common); sharing needles or other contaminated injection or skin-piercing equipment; blood and blood products through, for example, infected transfusions and organ or tissue transplants; transmission from infected mother to child in the womb or at birth and breastfeeding.
Q. I'm HIV positive. Where can I go for information about treatments?
A. The CDC National AIDS Hotline can offer practical information on maintaining health and general information about a wide variety of treatments, including antiretrovirals and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections. The hotline numbers are (800) 342-2437 (English), (800) 344-7432 (Spanish), and (888) 480-3739 (TTY). The CDC National AIDS Hotline can also provide referrals to national treatment hotlines, local AIDS Service Organizations and HIV/AIDS- knowledgeable physicians.
Q. Do the new drugs I hear about cure you?
A. The new drugs are a class of anti-HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors. There is no cure for AIDS, but these drugs are helping to prolong the lives of many people with AIDS and delaying the onset of AIDS in many people with HIV. There is no standard treatment for everyone. A health care provider will discuss individual options.
- Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, aids.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
