Show AIDS panel tells personal tragedy of ot victims Maria Marla Von Yon Vimar Feature Editor panel sponsored co-sponsored A by CAB and the Student Nurses Nurse's Alliance held May 14 brought four AIDS infected local residents residents residents resi resi- dents and their families to the college Their touching stories included included included in in- that of Tyler a beautiful beautiful beautiful ful year old boy who became became became be be- came infected with AIDS His adoptive mother said Tylers mother was my sister She died a prostitute and a drug addict in the streets of Salt Lake City Victims and families gather to support each other in common crises Going to each others other's funerals is is a goaland goal goaland goaland and a promise said Barb a nurse moles molested ed by her AIDS infected stepfather My name is Alan Im I'm 34 39 years old Im I'm gay and Ive I've got AIDS You might say I deserve this disease But I feel I have done nothing to deserve this I was healthy and strong just like you I believed AIDS couldn't happen happen happen hap hap- pen to me then when I was in my early twenties I got infected Infected infected in in- said one panel mem mem- ber Although Alan had been infected with the AIDS virus since 1978 it took eight years before he became really sick At a time like this we need love and understanding from our families not a aI I degree on how we got AIDS said Alan How to avoid HIV infection infection infection tion was the subject of a lecture lecture lec lec- lec- lec I ture delivered by AIDS panel speaker Sherry Merrill director director l tor of the Utah AIDS tion Merrill compared com pared getting infected with HIV to playing Russian roulette Some people can be infected the first time others have been exposed to the virus hundreds of times and dont don't get it Our support system consists o of f AIDS ca car car- Tiers Our support system is s dying We Weare Weare Weare are dying said Barb The AIDS virus is deadly Once you get it you will probably die from it she said The most common ways people get infected with AIDS are blood to blood contact such as IV drug abuse blood transfusions and mothers to twenty babies five percent explained Merrill Prevention said Merrill means refraining from all of the AIDS risk behaviors such as anal intercourse vaginal contact oral sex and IV W drug use Other preventive measures include one monogamy sex partner for 15 years or more for both sex partners and the use of condoms Theoretically condoms are one hundred percent failure proof In practical use condoms have a ten percent failure rate stated Merrill saying that FDA approved latex condoms are the only available method that offers some protection The panel session closed with questions and answers from a large audience of stu stu- stu- stu dents One of the panel members members members mem mem- bers Larry 36 married children children- bisexual with two explained how the AIDS treatments available now are only experimental and in in- variably produce serious side- side effects Im on a drug treatment called now which causes Ive I've been on which caused anemia and other side All treatments make you feel very ill and very weak said Larry My family and I are al always always always al- al ways aware of my having AIDS When you have AIDS abstinence from sex doesn't sound so silly concluded Larry Condoms and instruction on state AIDS test sites were available to the audience State test sites are at Salt Lake County Health Depart Depart- ment If you are interested in getting tested you should attend attend attend at at- tend the testing pre-testing as well as testing post-testing counseling advised advised advised ad ad- Merrill Po I t |