Letter to the Editor: Student group responds to HIV outbreak

The members of Generation HIV were pleased to see that The Chronicle has taken the time to write an article on the report of an HIV outbreak on North Carolina college campuses.

  The realities of the HIV epidemic are ones that, as Ray Rodriguez adequately pointed out, affect everyone in today's society, including the Duke community. The rise in the rates of infection among collegestudents should in no way be underestimated. With a rise in recently reported infections there are also many people living with the disease that are unaware they are infected. In  UNAIDS and WHO's 2003 AIDS Epidemic Update it was reported that almost one quarter of people living with HIV in the United States do not know that they are HIV positive. This epidemic has had its hold on the United States and the rest of the world for over two decades now. Yet its grip can be loosened considerably through education and prevention efforts.

  Generation HIV is a recently chartered student group on campus that is committed to helping bring light to the issues raised in this article.

  We hope to continue to raise awareness surrounding HIV and its impact within Duke's campus, North Carolina, as well as internationally. Generation HIV hopes to open up the discussion about HIV/AIDS on Duke's campus as well as the prevalence of other STDs that are affecting the student population. If anyone is interested in working with Generation HIV to help in addressing these issues, please contact Chelsea at csf4@duke.edu or come to our meetings Monday nights at 8 p.m. in the Perk.