A South Carolina DHEC survey in 2007 found that 4,128 Columbia citizens reported living with HIV/AIDS as of December 2006.
Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services is doing something to fight this problem. The organization launch "know (now)," an HIV testing marketing campaign, this Wednesday.
"This campaign is a really aggressive push to get information out there to people about how important it is to know your status," said Carmen Julious, the organization's executive director.
The organization, which was founded in 1985, offers HIV testing, practical and emotional support, peer counseling, educational programs and a food pantry, among a variety of other things, according to a news release.
The campaign has three major objectives: encouraging the community to get tested, to get treated and to get educated, Julious said.
It aims to further awareness in the community and generate accurate information about HIV/AIDS in Columbia, Julious said.
Jessica Green, a graduate social work student, said she currently interns with the organization.
"It's so dangerous and people are scared to talk about," she said of the disease. "You need to know about it."
Green said she emphasizes that HIV testing is free with Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services.
"In general conversation with friends, ask 'Hey, have y'all been tested? Let's all go Monday and get tested.' Make it a group effort," she said.
Julious said HIV rates are highest among people 18-44 years old.
"As younger people, we often don't have a lot of awareness or concern about health issues. Younger people still feel relatively healthy," Julious said. "We hope the concern will be that we want a healthy community. We want a healthy future for students."
South Carolina "usually rates in the top ten of states of rates of HIV infections" she said, with Richland County ranking as having the highest rate of HIV infections in the state.
"We think that could be turned around," Julious said. "The majority of folks who know their status and test positive change their behavior."
Some USC students said they feel that HIV/AIDS is a big problem in the Columbia community.
Kaylyn Wicker, a second-year early childhood education student, said she thinks a lot can still be done to raise awareness on campus.
"More speakers should come, maybe some with AIDS," she said. "People think it won't happen to them. It doesn't faze them. It's a big problem."
Wicker is from Newberry, where she said AIDS, as well as teen pregnancy, is a big problem.
"It will just increase without knowledge," she said.
Adam Kollar, a third-year sports and entertainment management student, said he agrees prevention is a major component in the fight against AIDS, but thinks it common knowledge.
"To prevent it, there isn't much you can do other than what is being done," Kollar said. "The health center does a good job with the resources they have."
Before coming to USC, Kollar said he attended a two-year school where he said he took a mandatory health class which taught HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and the like.
"You had to pass the class to graduate," he said.
Seventy-five percent of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Region 3, which is made up Richland, Lexington, Lancaster, Newberry, York, Fairfield and Chester counties, are black. Seventy-five percent of new HIV/AIDS cases are men, according to a news release.
Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services works with several AIDS organizations in South Carolina, including SC HIV/AIDS Council.
"People try to look for something to make sense of the rates of HIV infection," Julious said. "The message we need for everybody to hear is that anyone can be at risk for HIV. It is what you do, not who you are that puts you at risk."
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