The University of Memphis Health Center recognized World AIDS Day by providing information on safe sex.
Thursday marked the worldwide recognition of a worthy cause where men, women and children get involved in providing a safer community. World AIDS Day started in 1988 to increase awareness, education and fight prejudice against the human immunodeficiency virus commonly known as HIV, according to the Avert Web site.
The red ribbons on The U of M campus telephone poles represented the cause to fight the war on and against AIDS. The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness to demonstrate care and concern about HIV/AIDS.
"On college campuses, statistics said that there are 2 to 3 out of 1000 students who are affected with HIV," said Jacqueline DeFouw, a health educator at The U of M Health Center. "We put the ribbons on the pole to remind everybody that it's World AIDS Day."
According to the UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), during the year 2005, 4.9 million people became infected with HIV. About half of the people became infected with HIV before they turned 25 and were killed by AIDS before they turn 35.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It's a virus that attacks the body's immune system, making the body unable to fight infection, according to the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. Even though World AIDS Day is internationally recognized on Dec.1, there are 14,000 daily new AIDS cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
DeFouw and her peer health educators set up a table in The University Center to raise AIDS awareness for students and faculty. She said peer health educators, the psychological counseling unit, and herself are ready to help students with any questions on HIV prevention.
"We gave quizzes on HIV from Avert.org and how to use a condom properly," DeFouw said. "We gave out red ribbons, free condoms and information on abstinence."
DeFouw said she used a dummy wooden model to show students how to put on a condom properly. She briefed on the importance on using condoms. She displayed oral condoms know as dental dams, women condoms and male condoms.
"It's better to have smart sex and safe sex," she said. "Any sex can cause problems."
According to DeFouw, you can use male condoms for safe oral sex if you cut off the closed tip of the condom and make another cut along the side of the condom that will give you a rectangular sheet.
However, if you are allergic to latex, then there are polyurethane female condoms, hypoallergenic and odorless ones that protect against the spread of infections and HIV.
"If you need condoms, there are condoms in the clinic," she said.
DeFouw said they don't do HIV testing in the on-campus clinic but can refer you to several free and inexpensive testing clinics.
