HU Observes World AIDS Day

Hampton, VA - On Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hampton University will host a campus wide World AIDS Day event open to the public. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. there will be representatives from Self-Protection Awareness (SPA) passing out pamphlets and brochures on HIV/AIDS awareness and guest speakers in the student center. Promptly at 7 p.m., WHOV, HU's radio station and the Student Government Association (SGA) will host a Flashlight AIDS Walk. Students will walk the campus to show their support and dedication for the cause. Following the walk, the students will return to the student center for a candle light vigil and testimonials from four guest speakers. Donations are encouraged and will be used to support the SPA programs: Clean Comfort and Home Health Parties. Throughout the day members of the Student Recruitment Team, SGA and WHOV will be handing out red ribbons in recognition of World AIDS Day.

"Women, Girls, HIV & AIDS," is the theme for this year's World AIDS Day programs. According to Pearlie A. Jett, SPA executive director, "globally, women are approximately half of the people living with HIV. The focus of this year's campaign is to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and AIDS.

"In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that approximately 40,000 Americans contract HIV each year; of that amount, over 11,000 are female."

Dynell Searight, senior public relations major and WHOV community service director from Ewing, NJ said, "I feel that events like this are important. We're able to reach a large number of students and educate them; let them know that they're not immune to this disease and that they need to take the proper precautions to protect themselves."

SPA is a non-profit community based organization that works to promote and educate the individual and the general public to take preventive measures to stop the spread of HIV, AIDS and STDs. SPA provides prevention education, risk reduction strategies, and skill building to increase participants' knowledge of HIV, AIDS, and STDs; reduce high-risk behaviors associated with the spread of the diseases; and ultimately reduce the rates of infection of HIV, AIDS and STDs. SPA also provides primary prevention transmission training to individuals that have the diseases.

For more information, please contact Dynell Searight at (609)638-8035 or via e-mail at Dynell.Searight@pipeline.hamptonu.edu. For more information on SPA and their programs, please contact Pearlie Jett at (757) 593-3531 or via e-mail at SPA03@cox.net.