What frustrates Jessica Gu most about AIDS is that it can be completely preventable.
“There are 35 million people in the world who are unnecessarily sick,” the UCLA AIDS ambassador said.
Gu, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, said that until a vaccine is made, education is the most powerful tool to prevent the spread of the disease.
As part of the student group AIDS Ambassadors, Gu works with other students to inform and educate both the UCLA and the Los Angeles communities about AIDS.
The group has been collaborating with other groups on campus ““ including the AIDS Awareness Committee of the Undergraduate Students Association’s Student Welfare Commission, Dance Marathon, the UCLA AIDS Institute and the world arts and cultures department ““ in organizing World AIDS Day.
The event, to be held this Friday, will include processions, speakers, music and a resource fair to spread AIDS awareness.
Stephanie Santos, director of the Student Welfare Commission’s AIDS Awareness Committee, said she hopes the event will localize the issue and remind people that HIV and AIDS affect many students and do not only occur in places such as Africa.
“It’s important for college-age people to get the facts straight, so they can begin sharing this information with others,” Gu said.
“We strive to do more than educate people. We try to make other people educators as well.”
Santos said she believes that increased awareness of the disease will lead to finding a cure.
“The more people know about HIV and AIDS, the greater the chance that someone will find a cure,” she said.
At UCLA, people know HIV and AIDS exist, Santos said, but they do not know all the ways the disease can be contracted.
“A common misconception is the disease only affects certain people, but anyone can contract it,” she said. “Though most people know they can contract HIV by sharing needles or unprotected sex, not many know they can also contract the virus from a blood transfusion or even an organ transplant.”
But, contrary to popular belief, the disease will not be transmitted by any exchange of fluid, Gu said. It is highly unlikely to transmit the HIV virus through saliva, she said.
“You would have to drink a gallon of someone’s saliva to contract the virus,” she said.
To avoid worrying about these misconceptions, Gu said, it is important to be educated and aware of ways to contract the disease.
Jianya Lin, a third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, and a member of the AIDS Awareness Committee, said people need to think about HIV and AIDS more often.
“You want to be as safe as possible,” she said.
“That means not sharing drinks with someone with an open sore ““ always using contraception. This way there are absolutely no uncertainties.”
Gu said it is also important to realize that it may take anywhere from three weeks to six months to get a response to the virus.
People think if they participate in risky behavior, get tested the same day, and the test comes back negative, they have not contracted the disease.
But Gu said HIV and AIDS are not something people need to be afraid of.
“If people have information about the disease, they won’t get it,” Gu said.
“People ask me if they can live with someone with HIV or AIDS and contract the disease. The answer is, of course, no, they cannot, but it is surprising that so many people think this is true.”
The stigma associated with the disease stems from people who do not understand how the disease is contracted and transmitted.
“Education will not only prevent the spread of the disease but hopefully will have a bigger societal impact and erase the stigma,” Gu said.
Santos said she believes there is a lot of potential on campus for people to make a difference.
“There are so many resources; people just need to take advantage of them,” she said.