The Associated Students Women's Center sponsored "Women Talk About AIDS," which discussed womens experiences with HIV and services offered, at SF State in the Cesar Chavez Student Center on Monday.
Panelists included Hulda Brown, a woman who is HIV positive; Katie Huang, health educator at the Student Health Service and coordinator for HIV testing on campus; and Bernard Henderson, HIV health youth educator for the San Francisco Black Coalition on AIDS.
Brown, 51, said she was infected with HIV in 1991 when collecting cans to earn extra money. She reached a gloved hand into a garbage bin when she was pricked by an infected needle.
She didn't go to the doctor when her finger turned black or when it was so swollen that she couldn't close her fist. Brown said she stayed in the house for three months watching television. It wasn't until her glands became swollen that she sought care at a health care clinic.
The original diagnosis was that she had AIDS. The diagnosis was given to her over the phone by a nurse practitioner. Brown said she was outraged at the lack of sensitivity. "I couldn't believe she just blurted it out just like that. 'You've got AIDS.' No warning, or build-up or apologies -- nothing," Brown said.
According to Bernard Henderson, African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented when it comes to AIDS. "Black people are 12 percent of the population, yet they represent 30 percent of full-blown AIDS cases," Henderson said. "Sixty-five percent of children born with HIV and AIDS are African-American children."
Black women are 14 times more likely to contract HIV than white women, and black men are three times more likely to get the virus than white men, Henderson said.
Lack of health care, education and self-esteem are all contributing factors to the high infection rates among minorities.
"African Americans aren't getting proper medical service," Henderson said. "Most African Americans find out they have AIDS during the near death stage."
Student Health Service currently offers HIV antibody testing through their HIV education and testing service. The HIV antibody test shows whether or not you have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes AIDS.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS is the third leading cause of death among adults aged 25 to 44.
The HIV testing program at SF State began in October 1994 and was designed to offer students testing that is completely anonymous. According to Huang, students can take the test using a two number, two letter code to sign up. No real name or student identification is used. All paperwork generated from the test is returned to the student upon completion of testing.
Records of students who don't complete the process are kept for 60 days and then shredded. The waiting period is designed for students who forget to pick up their results or for those who aren't ready to hear the results yet.
Huang encouraged students to get tested, "Anytime you are sexually active or unsure of your partners history, you should be tested," she said. "Anyone having doubts about being tested, please come in to the Student Health Service."
Other services provided by SHS include the Positive Care Program, which provides comprehensive medical care and referrals for HIV positive students.
"We strongly encourage students to take part in our early intervention program," Huang said. "It helps prolong the quality of life."
Clinical care and base-line testing are offered to students free of charge. The $500 to $700 students would normally pay for testing is paid for by SF State's AIDS Coordinating Committee.
Resources are available for people with special housing needs and referrals will be given for psychological care and to those with complicated health care needs.