The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 27, 1989 Page: 9 of 16
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"A
xlLlDS is not a big risk for
Rice students." True or false?
Before you answer, consider this:
1. Houston has the country's
fourth-highest number of AIDS
cases. In fact, the city health depart-
ment's Bureau of Epidemiology re-
cently announced that since 1986,
AIDS has been the top cause of death
for Houston men age 25-44.
2. The disease has a five- to seven-
year dormancy period. Some scien-
tists believe the time is even longer.
If you subtract this time from the
ages of Houston men dying from the
disease, it is clear that many people
catch the virus when they are col-
lege-aged. According to the National
Education Association, most stu-
dents infected will not show signs
until after they have left school.
3. College students are likely to
be sexually active, and many of them
experiment with sex and drugs. A
highly sexually active population liv-
ing in a city with many AIDS cases is
like a ticking time bomb.
4. Several members of the Rice
community have already tested posi-
tive for the virus or shown symp-
toms—some have even died already.
Yet, behind Rice's hedges, many
of us don't feel affected by the epi-
demic. Sure, we've heard all about
AIDS on television and read articles
in the newspapers. But most people
here don't seem to have changed
their behavior much. Why?
"College students aren't that
concerned about AIDS because they
don't see their friends dying of it,"
says Nick Iammarino, chairman of
Rice's task force on AIDS.
"Rice students are probably not
significantly different than what the
surveys are indicating about atti-
tudes among college students in
general," said Director of Student
Activities Lois Waldron. "It appears
that there's much more knowledge
than a few years ago about AIDS
transmission, but that it's not having
much effect on behavior."
Prevention requires students to
task force member Amanda Schnee
said she could not comment on how
many Rice students have AIDS or
AIDS-related symptoms. She did
confirm, however, that "there have
been some student cases on cam-
pus."
Personnel Director Erbel Perk-
ins also would not give specific
numbers, but said there are "sev-
eral" cases among Rice staff.
• • •
Student opinion is varied, rang-
ing from extreme concern to a devil-
may-care outlook.
"Realistically, I don't think it's a
serious risk. Potentially, if people
don't pay attention, it could be a seri-
ous risk," said Jones freshman Rick
Russell.
Will Rice senior David Addington
believes "the risk is really small if
you stay out of the high-risk groups."
Hanszen sophomore Bob Roth
feels "the problem is getting bigger
every day, but I don't think it's a big
threat at Rice."
"I think it's probably a greater (
risk than most people see it," said
Jones sophomore Karen Kuper. "A
lot of people have been exposed and
aren't aware of it"
Many students, including some
who are monogamous or celibate,
said they didn't feel they needed to
change their behavior.
One Jones freshman said, "I don't
engage in sex with strangers. If a
person hasn't been tested, then I'll
wear a condom."
"You just have to be more careful
about who you interact with," said
Jones senior Walter Schmidt "Don't
let your hormones get out of control
if you don't know the personal his-
tory of the person you're with—no
one-night stands."
Although Will Rice senior Ted
Westerheide said he doesn't think
he has reason to change his behav-
ior, he says, "I definitely think a lot
more."
Most students interviewed said
they knew AIDS cannot be transmit-
*«i p -
*
IS RICE REALLY AT RISK?
By Michele Wucker
tides. In addition, the task force
received advice and help from the
American College Health Associa-
tion, which has information about
other schools across the country.
This fall, the task force released a
report providing guidelines for deal-
ing with the disease. Although the
report is not a legal docu ment, it does
provide a framework within which
the university can react to AIDS. It
stresses that AIDS can not be trans-
mitted through casual contact, and
that the university will handle vic-
tims as if they had any other disease.
Acting on a recommendation by
the ACHA, the task force ruled out
the possibility of testing at Rice. The
university's facilities are too small for
widespread testing, according to
Iammarino.
Referring people to outside insti-
tutions for testing helps guard pri-
vacy, according to Schnee. The
Montrose Clinic, to which Health
Services refers students, uses a
number-based identification system
that helps ensure anonymity.
In addition, the task force recom-
mended that the university install
"You have to continually reinforce
information. You can't have a
one-shot approach."
—Nick Iammarino
change their behavior, and many
simply aren't aware that failure to do
so could really affect them.
"There is a lot of sexual experi-
mentation that goes on in college,"
said Director of Psychiatric Services
Stan Deen. Because of this, hetero-
sexual students may end up dating
people who have had gay or IV drug-
using lovers, and are at a greater risk
of having AIDS.
"There's a greater possibility of
the spread of AIDS—I don't think
students are neccessarily aware of
that," said Deen. "College students
have the idea that they are immortal.
The attitude that, 'I would never ever
get a disease like that,' can often
serve as a denial that AIDS is a real
phenomenon."
• • •
Statistics seem to support this il-
lusion of immortality, as colleges and
universities across the country have
reported few AIDS cases.
Iammarino says these statistics
are misleading. First, he says, most
students don't tell university officials
if they test positive for the virus or
show symptoms. Second, students
who have begun to experience symp-
toms are not likely to stay in school.
Because of these two factors, sta-
tistics on AIDS on college campus
are probably much lower than the
actual number of infected students.
Estimates of the number of in-
fected students who actually stay in
school are being revised .upwards as
well. Preliminary results of a Center
for Disease Control study of college
students indicates that the number
of students who have HIV antibodies
is higher than originally thought
Health Services Physician and
ted by casual contact. When asked
what they would do if a food service
employee had AIDS, however, many
students said they wouldn't want the
employee to handle food.
"They're required to wear plastic
gloves, and they don't get any bodily
fluids in the food, so it's no problem.
As a matter of appearances, it's
probably better if they weren't in-
volved in the actual preparation,"
said Jones freshman Eric Dupre.
How would Rice students treat
someone that they knew had AIDS?
"If a really close friend had AIDS, I'd
probably be nicer to him," said
Hanszen sophomore Scott Johnson.
Hanszen sophomore Beth Erlan-
son says she wouldn't date a person
with AIDS (PWA).
"I wouldn't get close to them,"
says Addington. "I don't believe that
you can't get it fro m casual co ntact or
spittle. I think we could still be
friends, but I would go out of my way
not to exchange bodily fluids."
Students were divided on the
question of what they would do if a
roommate had AIDS. Some said they
would want their roommate to move
out. Others said the disease wouldn't
bother them.
"If he contracted the virus, he'd
need more support than disgust,"
said Schmidt.
Although individuals felt they
were fairly aware about the disease,
many of them said the general pu blic
is not Students felt that most people
at Rice don't see themselves at risk.
• • •
To lead AIDS prevention and
education efforts, President George
Rupp formed a university task force
two years ago. That task force re-
searched AIDS, from the medical
issues to policy issues. Members
attended conferences and read ar-
condom machines. "From the uni-
versity's standpoint, we need to
think about prevention—making
sure students are educated and
changing their behavior. That's one
of the reasons we put in the condom
machines," said Iammarino.
Health Services has always given
out free condoms, according to
Schnee. Since condom machines
were installed in the colleges this
fall, fewer people have asked for
condoms. Before machines were
installed, three or four people usu-
ally requested condoms each week,
she said.
The task force's work has also
included education efforts. For the
first time, Orientation Week this fall
included educational films on issues
including AIDS; many freshmen said
they had seen the film already, indi-
cating that many students know a
good deal before they come to Rice.
Iammarino said the task force is
planning programs to encourage
responsible sexual behavior. Discus-
sion will likely be geared to small
groups to encourage frank discus-
sion. They will probably be held after
dinner at the colleges. "We're look-
ing for the format that's going to
produce the best turnout," he said.
The Student Activities Office
sponsored two AIDS education days
in March 1987, bringing films and
speakers to the colleges. Waldron
said turnout was "superb" at five
colleges. Nearly 50 faculty and staff
members attended sessions held in
the library, and information sessions
at Farnsworth Pavilion boasted simi-
lar turnouts. Students, however,
hesitated to discuss AIDS even at the
sessions, which provided an oppor-
tunity to ask questions. "I get the
impression that only at about two of
the colleges was there a real give-
and-take," said Waldron.
Other education efforts have in-
cluded work by the university's
Health and Psychiatric Services.
Four years ago, the two offices spon-
sored the first AIDS conference at
Rice, in which nine physicians from
Psychiatric Services and Jim Lind-
sey, a speaker from the Baylor medi-
cal school, dicussed the disease.
Schnee and Deen said few students
attended that session.
Recently, however, students have
become more comfortable talking
about AIDS, so future plans may be
more successful.
Students seem to have become
more concerned about AIDS, ac-
cording to Schnee. She said Health
Service has referred about 50 people
to the Montrose Clinic for human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) tests.
She said many students opt to
take the test before they begin long-
term relationships, even if they are
not in high-risk groups.
Schnee and fellow physician Dain
Novak of Health Services discuss
AIDS with incoming students each
fall. "We try to impress upon them
that this is not the kind of thing to
blow off," said Schnee.
To try to raise awareness, Schnee
and Novak make sure students start-
ing on birth control are aware of the
risk of AIDS. "It's not likely that if
you're 18 years old, you're embark-
ing on one lifetime sex partner... Safe
sex really means one lifetime part-
ner," said Schnee.
Part of Health Services' efforts to
pinpoint cases of the disease in-
volves "knowing our patients well
enough to know if they're at high
risk," according to Schnee. "We
don't routinely ask for sexual prefer-
ence, but if a current illness may be
related to AIDS, we may ask."
In addition, the Health Data form
all incoming students must complete
includes a statement recommending
that "students are encouraged to
inform campus health authorities if
they have AIDS, ARC or positive
HTLV-III antibody test in order that
proper medical care and education
may be provided. This, like all other
medical information, will be handled
in the strictest confidence."
In place of this statement, Health
Services hoped to include a question
on the form asking outright if a stu-
dent had AIDS'. "We tried to change
the Health Dati form to reflect cur-
rent medical concerns, but the uni-
versity's legal advisers recom-
mended that we not include that
question," said Schnee.
Psychiatric Services also tries to
address fears about AIDS. The office
provides information and confiden-
tial counseling for interested people.
"We do have students that come in
who are concerned about AIDS."
said Deen.
He said the office's nine psychia-
trists are all familiar with symptoms
of AIDS and ways to prevent it.
"We don't have a stiff that is
prejudiced or fearful. We know AIDS
isn't' transmitted casually," said
Deen.,"You don't catch syphilis from
a toilet seat—you can't catch AIDS
from a toilet seat either." . •.
Deen pointed out that although
many students want more facts
about the disease, their fears often
stem from other tUings going on in
their life as well.
"A lot of the concerns tied to AIDS
are related to concerns about a first
sexual encounter. We try to help
students to sort out what their real
concerns are. We're addressing the
broad issue of AIDS, as well as other
related issues like sexuality and
being sexually active for the first
time," he said.
Deen said staff psychiatrists try to
address the biological, psychologi-
cal, and socialaspectsofAIDS. "All of
these factors contribute to a person's
emotional or social health," he said.
• • •
"It's easier today to talk about
sexually transmitted diseases than it
was 20 years ago," says Iammarino.
"Students take more sexuality
courses and want to find out more
information."
Deen agreed, saying, "Students
have become more comfortable talk-
ing about it"
Iammarino added, "We are a lot
further along in educating people
about basic information such as risk
factors and who gets it"
Although health educators have
made progress, they still have sev-
eral obstacles to hurdle.
One problem is that in recent
years, we have become used to rely-
ing on modern medicine to find
cures. Because of this, many people
may expect that the disease will not
be a problem much longer. There is
no cure for AIDS, however, and
there's not likely to be one any time
soon, most medical experts think.
"We don't anticipate an AIDS
vaccine for a while, yet we put all of
our hopes on modern science to take
away the disease," said Iammarino.
Educators must also combat the
hysteria that has surrounded the
disease. People are at the mercy of
the media for information. Because
much news doesn't go into great
detail, some aspects of an issue arc
often distorted. Often, some infor-
mation receives more attention than
it should.
A Masters and Johnson study this
fall, for example, disagreed with
most scientists', belief that it is not
possible to catch AIDS through cas-
ual contact Many scientists de-
nounced the study. In doing so,
however, they only drew more atten-
tion to it
"Any time you have misinforma-
tion, it's detrimental in educating the
public—then the public doesn't
know which way to turn. They don't
know which information is correct,"
said Iammarino.
"At Rice, students are much more
aware about it than they were a few
years ago," he said.
"But that doesn't mean you don't
have to need a booster shot. You
have to continually reinforce infor-
mation—you can't have a one-shot
approach," he said. "More impor-
tantly, just by making students more
knowledgeable, that's not necessar-
ily translated into changed behavior.
The easiest thirrg-ts-to-change knowl-
edge. That's not just a problem with
AIDS—it's the same with any health
problem." p
• • •
77 lis is the first in a series of three
articles on AIDS and the college stu-
dent. Die second part will include a
discussion of the experiences of stu-
dents who have tested positive for the
AIDS virus. The third article will
address the actions other schools have
taken to combat AIDS.
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McGarrity, Patrick & Sendek, Joel. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 27, 1989, newspaper, January 27, 1989; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245711/m1/9/?rotate=270: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.