by
      Jennifer
      Caseley
     
     
      &
      Steve
      Ellis
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      its
      first
      fifteen
      years
      of
      documented
     
     
      existence,
      AIDS
      has
      caused
      much
      pain
      in
      the
     
     
      lives
      of
      its
      victims
      and
      their
      friends
      and
      family.
     
     
      Even
      the
      relatively
      tranquil
      and
      conservative
     
     
      Island
      many
      UPEI
      students
      call
      home
      has
      not
     
     
      been
      able
      to
      escape
      this
      disease
      and
      its
      devastat-
     
     
      ing
      effects.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AIDS,
      or
      Acquired
      Immune
      Deficiency
     
     
      Syndrome
      is
      the
      disease
      which
      is
      caused
      by
      the
     
     
      Human
      Immunodeficiency
      Virus,
      HTV.
      As
      with
     
     
      all
      viruses,
      HIV
      attacks
      cells
      in
      the
      body.
      In
      the
     
     
      case
      of
      HIV,
      there
      is
      a
      target
      cell,
      namely
      the
      T-
     
     
      cells
      of
      the
      immune
      system.
     
    

    
     
      T-cells
      are
      instrumental
      in
      the
      bodies
     
     
      chain
      of
      defense,
      and
      once
      they
      die,
      they
      are
      not
     
     
      replenished
      by
      the
      body.
      Eventually
      there
      are
      so
     
     
      few
      T-cells
      that
      the
      immune
      system
      cannot
     
     
      function
      properly
      and
      the
      body
      is
      left
      open
      to
     
     
      disease
      and
      the
      infected
      person
      begins
      to
      display
     
     
      the
      symptoms
      of
      AIDS.
      Unfortunately,
      once
      a
     
     
      person
      has
      AIDS
      there
      is
      little
      that
      can
      be
      done.
     
     
      At
      present,
      AIDS
      is
      always
      fatal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HISTORY
     
    

    
     
      The
      disease
      was
      first
      announced
      in
      a
     
     
      memo
      at
      the
      Centre
      for
      Disease
      Control
      in
     
     
      Atlanta
      Georgia,
      in
      the
      summer
      of
      1981.
      It
      had
     
     
      been
      noted
      that
      several
      gay
      men
      in
      California
     
     
      and
      New
      York
      had
      developed
      rare
      cancers
      that
     
     
      had
      been
      diagnosed
      previously
      only
      in
      people
     
     
      who
      couldn’t
      fight
      off
      infections
      because
      their
     
     
      immune
      systems
      were
      suppressed
      either
      because
     
     
      they
      were
      born
      with
      a
      disorder
      of
      the
      immune
     
     
      system,
      or
      they
      were
      taking
      immunosuppressant
     
     
      drugs.
      Soon
      after
      the
      first
      reports,
      more
      cases
     
     
      began
      to
      appear.
      By
      the
      end
      of
      the
      year,
      doctors
     
     
      realized
      that
      they
      were
      dealing
      with
      a
      new
     
     
      disease.
      The
      AIDS
      epidemic
      had
      begun.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Many
      people
      speculated
      about
      the
      origin
     
     
      of
      the
      virus.
      One
      hypothesis
      was
      that
      the
      disease
     
     
      came
      from
      the
      African
      green
      monkey.
      Sixty
     
     
      percent
      of
      these
      monkeys
      carry
      a
      virus
      which
      is
     
     
      similar
      to
      HIV,
      but
      does
      not
      make
      them
      ill.
      This
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Same
      virus,
      when
      injected
      into
      Rhesus
      monkeys,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      are
      close
      genetic
      relatives
      to
      humans,
     
     
      causes
      disease
      to
      develop.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Different
      ideas
      have
      been
      developed
      to
     
     
      explain
      how
      the
      virus
      was
      transferred
      to
      humans.
     
     
      These
      are
      only
      speculations,
      but
      it
      is
      known
      that
     
     
      once
      in
      humans,
      the
      virus
      adapted
      to
      our
     
     
      physiology
      and
      became
      transferrable
      by
      person-
     
     
      to-person
      contact.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARE
      YOU
      AT
      RISK?
     
    

    
     
      AIDS
      is
      spread
      through
      the
      transfer
      of
     
     
      bodily
      fluids.
      Bodily
      fluids
      which
      can
      contain
     
     
      the
      AIDS
      virus
      include
      blood,
      semen,
      vaginal
     
     
      secretions,
      and
      any
      fluids
      which
      contain
      a
      visible
     
     
      amount
      of
      blood.
      Fluids
      that
      are
      not
      capable
      of
     
     
      spreading
      the
      disease
      include
      tears,
      sweat,
      saliva,
     
     
      vomit,
      urine
      and
      faeces
      --
      as
      long
      as
      they
      contain
     
     
      no
      visible
      blood.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      re
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Certain
      groups
      of
      people
      are
      at
      higher
      risk
     
     
      for
      acquiring
      AIDS
      than
      others.
      These
      groups
     
     
      include:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -homosexual
      men
     
    

    
     
      -bisexual
      men
     
    

    
     
      -intravenous
      drug
      abusers
     
    

    
     
      -people
      from
      geographical
      areas
      where
     
     
      there
      is
      a
      high
      prevalence
      of
      AIDS
     
    

    
     
      -haemophiliacs
      who
      received
      blood
     
     
      products
      between
      1980
      and
      November
      1985
     
    

    
     
      -people
      who
      received
      blood
      transfusions
     
     
      during
      the
      same
      period
     
    

    
     
      -sexual
      partners
      of
      any
      of
      the
      above
     
    

    
     
      -men
      and
      women
      who
      have
      many
      different
     
     
      sexual
      partners
     
    

    
     
      -male
      or
      female
      prostitutes
     
    

    
     
      -infants
      born
      to
      mothers
      in
      high
      risk
     
     
      groups
     
    

    
     
      -women
      who
      have
      been
      artificially
     
     
      inseminated
      with
      unscreened
      donor
      semen.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Though
      the
      information
      above
      may
     
     
      suggest
      so,
      AIDS
      is
      not
      a
      gay
      disease.
      As
      of
     
     
      1988,
      only
      thirty
      percent
      of
      the
      total
      number
      of
     
     
      worldwide
      AIDS
      sufferers
      were
      gay
      or
      bisexual
     
     
      men.
      As
      well,
      lesbians
      are
      at
      a
      relatively
      low
     
     
      risk
      of
      becoming
      infected.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      are
      activities
      which
      you
      can
      avoid
     
     
      to
      lower
      the
      chance
      that
      you
      will
      contract
      HIV.
     
     
      High
      risk
      activities
      include:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -sharing
      intravenous
      drug
      needles
     
    

    
     
      -vaginal
      intercourse
      without
      a
      condom
     
    

    
     
      -vaginal
      oral
      sex,
      without
      a
      dam,
      when
      a
     
     
      woman
      is
      having
      a
      period
     
    

    
     
      -anal
      intercourse
      without
      a
      condom
     
    

    
     
      (Note:
      According
      to
      Bobbi
      Smith
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      AIDS
      PEI,
      between
      thirty
      and
      forty
      percent
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PEI
      couples
      practice
      anal
      sex.)
     
    

    
     
      -sharing
      sex
      toys
      without
      using
      a
      new
     
     
      condom,
      dam
      or
      cot
      each
      time
      the
      toy
      is
      used
      on
     
     
      or
      by
      a
      partner
      or
      washing
      said
      toy
      in
      a
      gentle
     
     
      bleach
      solution.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CLOSER
      TO
      HOME
     
    

    
     
      On
      June
      30th,
      1995
      the
      Laboratory
      Centre
     
     
      for
      Disease
      Control
      (Health
      Canada)
      released
      its
     
     
      latest
      statistics
      on
      AIDS
      in
      Canada.
      As
      of
      that
     
     
      date,
      11,644
      cases
      of
      AIDS
      had
      been
      reported
      in
     
     
      Canada,
      which
      is
      almost
      ten
      times
      as
      many
      as
     
     
      there
      were
      in
      1988.
      On
      PEI,
      twelve
      cases
      had
     
     
      been
      reported,
      and
      an
      additional
      fourteen
      people
     
     
      had
      been
      diagnosed
      as
      HIV
      positive.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Andrea
      Scott
      of
      AIDS
      PEI
      pointed
      out
      that
     
     
      the
      PEI
      statistics
      underestimate
      the
      true
     
     
      situation.
      Many
      residents.go
      out
      of
      province
      to
     
     
      have
      AIDS
      testing
      done,
      and
      their
      results
      are
      not
     
     
      counted
      in
      the
      PEI
      statistics.
      AIDS
      is
      more
      of
      a
     
     
      problem
      than
      the
      statistics
      show.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      the
      statistics
      quoted
      above
      do
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      frighten
      you,
      they
      should.
      AIDS
      is
      still
      very
     
     
      much
      a
      threat
      for
      people
      from
      all
      walks
      of
      life.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      fight
      against
      this
      threat,
      and
      to
      help
     
     
      Island
      residents
      deal
      with
      the
      devastation
      of
     
     
      AIDS,
      AIDS
      PEI
      was
      formed.
      This
      education
     
     
      and
      action
      organization
      does
      much
      to
      reduce
      the
     
    

    
     
      threat
      of
      AIDS
      on
      PEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      addition
      to
      their
      regular
      activities,
     
     
      during
      the
      first
      week
      of
      October,
      AIDS
      PEI
      will
     
     
      be
      actively
      involved
      along
      with
      other
      organiza-
     
     
      tions
      across
      Canada
      in
      the
      promotion
      of
      AIDS
     
     
      awareness.
      Activities
      will
      include
      an
      informa-
     
     
      tion
      blitz
      in
      the
      form
      of
      displays
      and
      speaking
     
     
      sessions.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Perhaps
      the
      most
      important
      event
      of
      the
     
     
      week
      is
      “‘the
      WALK
      795".
      It
      is
      a
      fund-raiser
      for
     
     
      urgently
      needed
      funds
      for
      continued
      HIV/AIDS
     
     
      education,
      prevention
      and
      support
      services
      on
     
     
      PEI.
      This
      seven
      kilometre
      pledge
      walk
      will
      take
     
     
      place
      on
      October
      first,
      and
      starts
      from
      the
      Arts
     
     
      Guild
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      are
      interested
      in
      taking
      part
      in
      ‘‘The
     
     
      Walk
      ’95",
      talk
      to
      the
      leaders
      of
      the
      societies
      and
     
     
      clubs
      you
      belong
      to
      on
      campus
      as
      they
      may
     
     
      already
      have
      a
      team.
      If
      not,
      you
      can
      talk
      to
      Tara
     
     
      Inman,
      VP
      Internal
      of
      the
      Student
      Union,
      and
     
     
      either
      start
      your
      own
      team
      or
      join
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      team.
      For
      pledge
      sheets
      and
      additional
     
     
      information,
      contact
      AIDS
      PEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Get
      smart
      and
      don’t
      get
      AIDS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      more
      information
      about
      AIDS
      and
     
     
      HIV,
      check
      in
      the
      UPEI
      library,
      the
      student
     
     
      medical
      centre,
      or
      contact
      AIDS
      PEI
      at
      566-2437
     
     
      (toll
      free:
      1-800-314-2437).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stay
      tuned.
      The
      topic
      for
      next
      weeks
     
     
      column
      is
      male
      circumcision.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ra
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      26,1995