SHARE informs students about AIDS

USC’s Sexual Health and Violence Prevention took the lead Wednesday at the Russell House in regards to keeping students aware about staying sexually healthy.

“We want to keep students, our campus and the community alert and not to condone risky behaviors,” said SHARE’s World AIDS Day Coordinator Ebony Allen.

Allen, a third-year political science student, said abstinence is also one of the concepts advocated by SHARE.

“We also believe in abstinence since it is 100 percent safe,” Allen said.
Allen said this is one of the many projects the organization holds throughout the year. Last October was Domestic Violence month, and in the spring, SHARE will host Project Condom.

There are two task forces for SHARE, one for men and the other for women. Allen said her organization wants to keep students informed with the alarming statistics involved with HIV/AIDS. She said people should be more open about the subject and speak more about it.

“People shouldn’t just rely on myths. They should go by the facts and if they don’t know them, then they should just ask,” she said.

Allen thinks HIV/AIDS affects everyone, especially African-Americans. The rate of reported new HIV/AIDS cases among African-American South Carolinians is eight times that of Caucasians.

Ryan Wilson, a full-time staff member of Sexual Health Coordination, said they use the theme “Get Tested” on their merchandise in order to motivate people to regularly get their health checked for sexual and other reasons. Wilson said they hand out thousands of condoms to students on an annual basis.

“Today we will have passed out maybe one to 2,000 condoms which isn’t a lot for this school’s population, but we also hand out brochures so that spreads the word,” he said.

Last year a total of 15,000 condoms was passed out and so far this year SHARE has already distributed that amount. SHARE utilizes volunteers like Caitlin Carey for such services.

“I think it’s a good way to inform people about something they wouldn’t think about otherwise,” the third-year international studies student said.

Despite the statistics given for South Carolina, USC alone has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for sexual health. SHARE aims to maintain that status.

 

STATISTICS:

52 percent of all existing HIV infections in the U.S. are in the South.

South Carolina ranks 8th in the nation for new AIDS cases.

South Carolina ranks 7th among all states in AIDS rates among female cases.

Approximately 775 people are diagnosed with HIV each year in South Carolina.
One in five new HIV/AIDS cases reported in South Carolina is among people age 25 and under.

More than seven out of every 10 newly-diagnosed HIV infections occur among African-Americans, who represent one third of South Carolina’s population.

Among women newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in South Carolina, approximately eight out of 10 are African-American.

—Information from Student Health Services