World AIDS Day 2011 was recognized Thursday as an opportunity for communities worldwide to unite against, show support for people living with and to recognize those who have died in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, said Heather Maib, interim coordinator for the University of Idaho LGBTQA office and programs.
There are approximately 1,300 individuals throughout the state of Idaho who have accessed some sort of care for HIV or AIDS, said Chris Bidiman, program director for the Inland Oasis HIV program.
He said 90 of those individuals reside in the region — including Moscow — that consists of Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Clearwater and Idaho counties.
“People hear about AIDS in other parts of the
world, but we want to emphasize that it doesn’t just happen to specific groups of people in certain countries,” Maib said. “People are living with HIV/AIDS all over the world, all over the United States — in Idaho, in Moscow.”
World AIDS Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the disease, activism around it and resources for treatment and testing, Maib said.
She said students all over the world may not understand that HIV/AIDS is still a reality.
“People see images of celebrities who are living well with AIDS, who have access to some really amazing treatment,” she said. “But not everybody has that access, so we try to raise awareness about prevention and treatment, as well as the realities that surround the disease.”
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) leaves the body vulnerable to life-threatening infections and cancers, as it attacks the immune system, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. HIV causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus can be contracted and transmitted through blood, sexual contact and from mother to child.
“There’s a stigma based on medicine that it’s curable,” Bidiman said. “It’s not. It’s treatable, but it’s a really difficult treatment.”
He said the largest portion of the treatment consists of a series of pills and medication. Individuals undergoing treatment may take anywhere from three to a dozen pills multiple times a day, which can be expensive.
Some pharmaceutical companies have produced a once-a-day pill that can cost up to $1,500 a month, Bidiman said.
“There are a lot of side effects to treatment too,” he said. “Several people being treated say it’s just as bad, if not worse, than the disease itself. So it’s easier and more cost effective to do early detection and prevention than it is to try and treat it.”
Maib said each year on World AIDS Day the U.S. president makes an official proclamation, and other national governments have followed suit with similar announcements.
The university puts on a number of events each year to honor World AIDS Day.
This year, “diva” living with HIV/AIDS Rae Lewis-Thornton spoke about her personal experience living well with AIDS Wednesday evening in the SUB ballroom. Lewis-Thornton received an Emmy Award for her commitment and efforts to raise awareness of the disease. Free and confidential HIV testing was offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday on the fourth floor of the Idaho Commons. A free film, titled “HIV: Idaho” that follows several Idahoans sharing their personal battles with the disease, was shownThursday afternoon in the Idaho Commons Food Court. A statewide candlelight vigil was also held Thursday evening in Friendship Square.
“Five or six different cities in Idaho will light candles at the exact same time,” Bidiman said. “. . . To come together and be a symbol of solidarity for those we’ve lost against HIV/AIDS.”
The last event to recognize World AIDS Day 2011 is a free film, “Pills, Profits, Protest,” that will be shown today at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Diversity Center. Bidiman said the film documents the crisis of medication in different countries.
A number of local resources and ways to get involved are available when it comes to spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Maib said interested students can get involved with several different clubs and organizations on campus, including Oxfam and UI VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood.
She said students may also get involved by contacting Inland Oasis HIV programs if they want to work specifically with HIV education and awareness.
Bidiman said Planned Parenthood is a good resource for those seeking help or treatment, and that he is personally the region’s biggest point of contact when it comes to specific questions, concerns or testing regarding HIV/AIDS.