The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 20, 1990, REGISTRATION ISSUE, Page 9, Image 9
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In spite of all the media attention given to
AIDS dring the 1980s, many people still believe
they will never be faced with this deadly disease.
While these people may never become infected,
they will be affected.
That's because all of us eventually will know
someone who suffers from AIDS. The victim
may be someone we love or a co-worker or
even a relative of a friend.
In the United States, 139,765 men, women
and children have AIDS ? 1040 of them are in
South Carolina. Although statistics are not
available for the number of people who are
HIV-infected in the United States, it is estimated
that 3856 oeoole in South Carolina have
the AIDS virus.
There are 21 cases of pediatric AIDS in
South Carolina, with an additional 57 infants
who are HIV-infected.
South Carolina ranks 20th in the nation in the
rate of AIDS cases per 100,000 population, and
an alarming 18th in the nation in the rate of pediatric
AIDS cases.
Considering that South Carolina is a small
state, the figures are disturbing. In the Southeast,
only Georgia and Florida, both of which
have larger populations, have higher rates of
AIDS cases.
The public cannot take an ostrich approach to
AIDS. Too frequently we hear people say "I'm
not gay and I don't inject drugs" as an explanation
for why they will never contract AIDS.
However, studies show that the AIDS virus
has moved into the adolescent and heterosexual
populations. While the numbers of cases still remain
fairly small, none of us can afford to ignore
the issue.
A vaccine to prevent the spread of AIDS is at
least five years away, and a cure is still many,
many years into the future.
For now, the only weapons we have in the
war against the AIDS virus are education and
prevention. As health educators, we have a critical
challenge facing us.
First, we must convey the message that AIDS
is deadly. On the other hand, our message is
that the virus is fragile ? it is spread only
trough blood and body fluids.
Getting both of these messages across is very
difficult. Yes, the AIDS virus is serious. The
virus can kill you. . . but only in certain circumstances.
It is very easy for health professionals
to cross the line and create panic in people.
All of us must learn to find the right
balance.
Another challenge in AIDS education is one
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DR. DONNA RICHTER
Guest columnist
of changing behaviors. With AIDS, the behavior
that we want to change is immediate. The
pleasure of sex, for example, is now. The
"high" from intravenous drugs is now. But the
dangers these behaviors pose are far off in the
future.
It's very difficult to convince people to
change behaviors that produce instant gratification.
We've known for years that cigarettes increase
our chances for lung cancer and other related
diseases. We know certain foods put us at
risk for heart disease, and we know we
shouldn't drink and drive. Somehow, making
decisions not to engage in behaviors that endanger
our health is hard.
If we go to an amusement park and decide
against getting on a ride that appears unsafe, it
is a decision we must make only once. But decisions
about smoking, drinking, drug use and
sexual behaviors are decisions that involve lifelong
behavior changes.
A contributing factor that makes changes in
sexual behavior difficult is that sex is pushed at
us from every possible angle. From magazine
ads and television commercials to movies and
prime-time TV, the message is one of sex. Sex
sells everything from cars to clothes and soap.
"Mainstream" Americans are more likely to
engage in excessive drinking than to be pushed
toward drug use. But in certain areas, particularly
inner cities, drugs are pushed at people all
the time.
Anything that impairs judgement ? whether
drugs or alcohol ? will affect a person's ability
to make decisions. This can lead to risky behavior
choices. In the end, you're playing Russian
roulette with your life.
The International Society for AIDS Educa
tion was founded at the University of South
Carolina to help health educators and health
professionals throughout the world understand
the AIDS epidemic and learn what they can do
to prevent its spread. Since our first international
conference in 1987, hundreds of health
educators and health professionals have met
each summer to focus on the how-tos of AIDS
education and prevention techniques.
Though the general public thinks that our job
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is accomplished ? that information about
AIDS is pretty well known ? we find that we
have the never-ending task of trying to reinvent
AIDS education. Each
year, we have new groups of young
people becoming sexually active. They must be
educated. Also, those of us who have heard the
AIDS message before need to have it reinforced
and said in a different way. Sometimes, health
professionals are told, "I'm sick and tired of
hearing about AIDS."
We have a continuing challenge to develop
new and different ways of presenting information
about AIDS.
At our conference, a session on "The Joy of
Latex" delivers the message with a humorous
slant. Also, we teach decision-making skills for
interpersonal negotiation so that partners will
know how to communicate their feelings. It is
important for people to know that they have
choices and to feel comfortable with them.
One of the most interesting things happening
in education efforts is peer education. For example,
drug abusers, homosexuals, prison inmates
and teens are learning ways to share the
AIDS prevention message with their peers.
While the 1980s were a time of panic, I believe
that the 1990s will be a time of hope.
AIDS is no longer viewed as startling, new and
different
AIDS education is becoming part of our
comprehensive health education efforts. We
have learned to address the weaknesses in some
of our health care delivery systems, and we are
beginning to see people working together in the
fight against AIDS. This has become an interdisciplinary
effort, and people from every walk
of life in almost every country of the world
have rallied to the cause. We have come a long
way from the early days.
There is no question that we still have much
to learn. Even when vaccines and cures are
found, our education efforts will continue. Despite
vaccines for measles and cures for syphillis
and other sexually transmitted diseases, we
still see outbreaks of disease. People all too often
become complacent when they see that vaccines
and cures to diseases have been found.
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vention to fight the AIDS virus. Though health
professionals and educators have led the way in
delivering the AIDS message, all of us must be
a part of AIDS education efforts.
Dr. Donna Richter is assistant dean of USC's
College of Health and president of the International
Society for AIDS Education.
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Mandela not
Nobel worthy
To the editor:
The fact that some liberal members
of Congress are proposing
that Nelson Mandela be awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize shows just
how distorted the Mandela myth
has become. Among those claiming
that Mr. Mandela "follows in
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tne tradition or Manatma unanai,
Martin Luther King, Jr. and other
recipients of the Nobel Peace
Prize," are Richard Gephart
(D-MO), Speaker Thomas Foley
(D-WA), William Grey (D-PA),
Ben Gilman (R-NY) and Ronald
Dellums (D-CA).
While no one can refute Mr.
Mandela's commitment to ending
apartheid in South Africa, it is also
clear that he is no Ghandi or King.
Mr. Mandela was jailed for violent
crimes. Even Amnesty International
refused to recognize him as
a political prisoner. He has admitted
that his organization, the African
National Congress, tortured its
own members when they did not
toe the ANC line, and even his
own wife, Winnie, has been implicated
in the beatin and murder of
14-year-old Mokhetsi "Stompie"
Seipei.
Nelson Mandela continually advocates
the use of violence as an
appropriate means of political persuasion,
refuses to talk with other
black leaders who do not accept
him as the only representative of
black South Africans, and praises
Fidel Castro for his "love of human
rights and liberty."
Surely these are not the values
and traits that characterize a man
worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize
by even suggesting that Mr. Mandela
deserves such an honor. Nelson
Mandela may be a crusader
against apartheid, but he is not a
beacon for peace.
Michael Reed
Flesh shows
lower women
To the editor:
I was all set to call Louann Mazur
up and congratulate her. This
girl has true insight, wit and taste
for blasting the ever celebrated bin
forts of I
living on a cold, b
t for less than you
utlet has the Sout
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ay and put some c(
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kini contest. It seems this summer
I've heard a lot of advertising here
in South Carolina for this outdated,
neanderthalish event.
But alas. . . Debbie, our weekly
winner of said flesh extravaganza
doesn't deserve our admiration.
. . She deserves our
disappointment.
Once again, another woman is
added to the ranks of those who
naively and foolishly reinforce the
stereotype that we like to be
judged, accepted or oogled at for
our appearance. Half dressed and
proudly bouncing across the male
stage of life, Debbie, like many
others, fails to see the harm. Hell,
I did too. . . until about two years
ago. But wet t-shirt contests, strippers
and bikini competitions aren't
about appreciating the human
form, they are about degrading
women. They disgust me because I
am a humanist. Think about it for
just one second.
Judging a person's self-worth
because of their willingness to disrobe
and act like they enjoy being
visually and verbally violated: !
that's sad. And you know what? If .
you saw someone sell themselves
and their self respect for just a
little money. . . that's sad too.
It's not a matter of manipulating
men via their hormones. It
shouldn't be a matter of manipulating
anyone. The person really be
ing used here is Debbie, who
thinks what she's doing is sheer
fun and not harmful.
When she goes out and gets a
job and she's sexually harassed at
work, she can't stop it just because
it's not fun for her anymore. Or .
when she tries to enjoy a drink in a
bar without being grabbed or
pawed or barked at, it won't disappear
because she wants it to.
If you tell those guys out there ?
that this is O.K., then you make us
all suffer the consequences. I never ,
considered myself a feminist because
the men I was around treated
me with respect. What a rude awakening
when you find out that you J
can't take that for granted. Feeling *
cheap never makes anyone feel in
control. Let's leave Annette in the
'50s... I'd rather be my own '90s
woman.
Donna Lanzendorf
Graduate student
Marine science
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