Access to HIV tests vital for students

Brandyn Metzko knows what it's like to live with HIV. The 23-year-old senior at Cleveland State University tested positive in November 2003, after having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner.\nMetzko, though, also knows the biggest barrier to stopping the spread of the virus lies in getting tested and knowing a positive result isn't the end of the world. He said too many people are afraid to take the test, and not knowing can lead to infecting others. \n"So many people are scared of dying, and I think what they don't want to hear is 'You're going to die,'" Metzko said. "But HIV does not mean you're going to die. It means you're going to live, usually for quite a long time. You just have to make some accommodations and make sure your immune system is OK."\nCollege students like Metzko could be among the most at-risk to contract the virus, according to a recent study at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Experts advise that taking advantage of free or low-cost testing at sites across the country could help combat the dangerous trend and ultimately save lives.\nUNC researchers presented results of a two-and-a-half year study in February, which documented the first major HIV outbreak to be reported among college students. The researchers identified 84 HIV-positive male college students in 37 North Carolina public and private universities, representing about 16 percent of the new cases reported. That number was higher than ever previously reported among students. Dr. Peter Leone, one of the researchers and the director of UNC's sexually transmitted disease program, said the number could actually be even greater. \n"If you add in the partners who aren't in college, that number could be as high as 20 or 25 percent," Leone said. "That means one out of every four or five diagnosed young men is a college student or an associate. That's a big deal. And, given that our study was voluntary, that's probably a gross underestimation of the problem."\nThough it was limited to North Carolina, Leone said the study found connections between the HIV-positive students and partners as far south as Florida and north as Washington D.C., suggesting the problem extends beyond just one state. \n"I'm very concerned about this," he said. "We're calling for another study, but in the interim I think we need to increase our efforts in reaching out to colleges and letting them know they cannot ignore the risk. Most students are pretty sexually active, and when you combine that with alcohol, that's a big risk."\nEnter the National HIV Testing Day. The annual event coordinated by the National Association of People with AIDS promotes testing, as well as events that increase awareness and educate high-risk populations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 950,000 Americans are living with HIV and between 180,000-280,000 are unaware of the infection.\nNAPWA Public Affairs Director Paul Feldman said college students are one of the primary targets of the testing day and that half of the newly reported cases of HIV are in the 15-to-24 age bracket. NAPWA, through a partnership with Viacom, promotes safety and testing to students with public service announcements aired on popular college-oriented networks like VH1 and MTV. \nFeldman said students should take advantage of the free testing, whether through an event or through their university health center.\n"If you've never had an HIV test or ever had anal or vaginal sex without a condom or ever shared a needle, you better get tested," he said. "I think anybody who thinks infections are solely among men who have sex with men are living in a dream world and need to get tested."\nNew rapid testing procedures will garner a negative result or a preliminary positive result in just 20 minutes, and can be administered in the form of a blood test or an oral fluid test.\n"Now, even if you're needle-phobic, you can still get tested," Feldman said.\nIU students can be tested confidentially at the IU Health Center, 600 N. Jordan Ave. Students can call 855-7688 to make an appointment. There is a $15 charge for the test and results will be available in five to seven working days.\nUniversity of New Mexico Health Center Director Dr. Beverly Kloeppel said the campus has not shown any signs of an HIV outbreak, but students should get tested anyway to be safe.\n"I think those that are in the higher risk population, it's very important for them to get tested," Kloeppel said. "But it doesn't hurt to get tested regardless, because I think there's a lot of HIV out there that we're not finding."\nLeone said the testing day can be an effective tool in stopping the trend if it convinces people HIV is a real problem.\n"It's incredibly useful if we move people past the whole stigma with HIV and sexuality," he said. "It's very easy to believe it's other folks who are at risk, but people shouldn't assume they're safe."\nMetzko thinks testing can be effective, but prevention education should be balanced with more information on how to live with HIV. \n"Everyone who is sexually active should be tested, period," he said. "But you need to be realistic if you become positive and know it's not the end of your life. I still have a happy and successful life"