HIV epidemic not slowing on college campuses

One in every 500 American college student is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to a joint study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College Health Association.

The finding is based on the estimate of a "blind study" conducted by the two bodies at 19 universities, in which anonymous blood samples were tested at the various campus health centers.

The report is contained in a special publication of the CDC titled, "HIV/AIDS and College Students : A Pathfinder."

A follow-up study that expanded to include 24 colleges revealed a consistent finding, with the incidence of HIV infection running at about 0.2 percent, according to the report.

The CDC estimates the rate of HIV infection in the general American population at one in 250.

The report listed four factors that increasingly put college students at risk of HIV infection.

These include peer pressure, lack of maturity and alcohol and drug use and the growing incidence of date rape on campuses.

The report said college students may have unprotected sex, which they ordinarily might not do, while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

"Abandoning safer sex techniques, failing to use condoms correctly and consistently and having sex while under the influence can lead to possible infection with HIV or other sexually transmitted disease," the report said.

The CDC report said additional reports indicate that increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS does not always result in a positive behavior change.

It said researchers have used "Knowledge, Attitude, Belief and Behavior," models to develop questionnaires and has found that, "use of alcohol or other drugs often alters judgments about the perceived risks of a particular situation."

The CDC lists HIV/AIDS as the sixth leading cause of death among the 15 - to 24-year-old in the United States.

According to records from the Student Health Services, only seven positive cases of the disease has been recorded at Cal State Long Beach since testing began eight years ago.

None has been reported in the past three years.

About 120 students get tested on campus for the disease every semester.

Publications stressing abstinence and condom use during sex are however made available to students including periodic sex education counseling by advisers.

In addition, students can get to buy condoms at a cheaper rate of 12 for $2 .

The Student Health Services however warned students about the various types of condom - latex, lubricated and reservoir - and their limitations.

Latex condoms may feel natural, they may not provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases and are weakened by heat.

Lubricated condoms have lubrication that reduces the chance of breaking but requires additional lubricant for added protection.

Reservoir-type condoms provide an open space at the end of the condom for the fluid and sperm but a half-inch must be left between the head of the penis and the end of the condom.

A total of 77 cases of the HIV/AIDS has so far been reported in Long Beach City for this year alone.

This brings the cumulative reported cases of the disease in the city to 2,838 according to Long Beach City Department of Health and Human Resources AIDS Surveillance Coordinator Meredith Delaney.

Ninety-fice percent of HIV/AIDS cases in Long Beach are adult males. A breakdown of the cases by exposure showed 77 percent came through male-to-male contact, 7 percent was caused by intravenous drug use and a combination of both categories.

Infection by heterosexual exposure runs at 2 percent, blood transfusion cause another 1 percent and 4 percent of the cases are caused by risks not reported.

A total number of 2,405 incidence of the case was reported for the first quarter of the year in California with 699 cases coming from the Los Angeles County.

The AIDS epidemic, now in its 15th year affects 513,486 Americans. As of December 1995, 64 percent of Long Beach residents who had reported cases of AIDS had died.