The Center for Latino Community Health will host World AIDS Day Fair 2016 at the Speaker’s Platform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in conjunction with the worldwide educational health day.
World AIDS Day is held on Dec. 1 to unite people to fight against HIV and AIDS. The day is an opportunity to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from AIDS.
“The goal is to promote awareness and understanding HIV and AIDS,” CSULB’s Coordinator of the Health Resource Center Heidi Girling said. “This includes prevention of HIV through safer sex and other mechanisms, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis if one is at high risk for HIV.”
The Center for Latino Community and the Health Resource Center come together to host the event where there will be free HIV testing and activities that will teach CSULB students facts about the virus, prevention and safer sex practices. There will be informational pamphlets, free condoms and lubricants provided as well.
According to a Nov. 2016 UNAIDS report, there are 36.7 million people living with HIV, but only 18.2 million of those people were accessing antiretroviral therapy as of June 2016.
UNAIDS.org states that 78 million people who have become infected with HIV and 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic in the 80’s.
To combat prejudice carried from the 80’s the multi-part 2016 World AIDS Day campaign’s theme is “HIV Stigma: NOT RETRO, JUST WRONG”.
First, the National AIDS Trust urges people to challenge HIV stigma on social media by sharing a funny or embarrassing story from the 80’s or 90’s to show that although some retro styles have come back into fashion HIV stigma should be left in the past.
Second, people are urged to take a stand against HIV stigma in their daily life by sharing the #HIVNotRetro campaign at work, school, with friends and family.
Lastly, people are urged to wear red and/or a red ribbon on Dec. 1 to show support and solidarity to the people living with HIV and AIDS.
According to WorldAIDSDay.org, people do not know the facts about how to efficiently protect themselves because they rely on the mainstream media’s antiquated view of the virus. WorldAIDSDay.org states that the stigma and discrimination that remains from the 80’s outbreak effects both people who have HIV and AIDS, as well as the general public.
“World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away — there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education,” the 2016 National AIDS Trust said.
According to WorldAidsDay.org, being diagnosed with HIV today means something completely different than it did 20 years ago. Even though HIV is no longer a death sentence, people’s attitudes toward HIV makes the lives of people living with the disease difficult.
Free and confidential HIV testing services are offered on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as partner counseling and referral services at the HIV Care and Coordination Clinic in Long Beach. For more information, call 562-570-4315.