New Jersey: Symposium Infects HIV Awareness Within University

Rutgers Health Services' Health Outreach, Promotion and Education on HIV/AIDS (HOPE) hosted a March 10 symposium to raise students' awareness about the disease. The event was held on National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

At the HIV/AIDS Interactive Symposium, students could walk around to different stations and learn about topics like safe-sex practices and drug and alcohol use. One station run by HOPE's Wellness Learning Community invited students to send inspirational postcards to friends and family.

The event also featured a photo exhibit titled "Faces of Awareness." The images of people affected by HIV/AIDS are part of a traveling exhibit originally started on the Douglass campus.

For some students, the information provided served either to refresh their memories or boost their knowledge of HIV/AIDS. "I feel like I already knew a lot of this stuff, but it reinforced what I knew. This event served as a reminder for me," said Hieu Phung, a senior. "If everybody here at least learns about how to use a condom and what types of contraceptives there are, I think it would help and maybe lower birth rates and help protect against diseases," said sophomore Sofya Andemicael.

Back to other news for March 2010