World AIDS Day kicked off HIV/AIDS Awareness Month for the Fresno State community on Dec. 1. The month was designed to educate the public on HIV/AIDS and support those living with the illness.
“People are going to get treated differently, so we don’t want that,” said Dayana Michelle, a junior biology major. “We want everybody to be included, everybody to be together and get along, so bringing awareness would help with that.”
According to the California Department of Public Health, the HIV diagnosis rate in Fresno County was 17.4 per 100,000 people in 2023, putting Fresno County in the bottom 25% of all California counties.
A little more than half of new HIV/AIDS cases in the year 2023 were under the age of 35, according to the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
“Generally, some of the common symptoms [of HIV] can be body aches and flu-like symptoms, and sometimes you have some individuals who have no symptoms at all,” according to Robert Mitchell, the director of medical services at the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC).
Symptoms for AIDS can vary, but usually manifest in the gastrointestinal tract, dermatologically and neurologically. Symptoms show in the form of diarrhea, rashes, headaches and myalgias.
HIV/AIDS is mainly spread through bodily fluids. The spread of most HIV cases is usually related to drug use and unprotected sex, according to Mitchell.
The SHCC brings awareness to services available to the student body for HIV/AIDS Awareness Month. Services include education and information regarding HIV/AIDS and access to medications.
“Regular testing, early treatment and education are key to prevention and care,” according to an SHCC Instagram post on World AIDS Day.
The SHCC provides Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for the student body.
PrEP decreases the chances of a user potentially getting HIV. PEP is taken within 48 hours after a possible HIV exposure to prevent an HIV infection, according to Mitchell. Students can talk to an SHCC provider about PrEP or PEP.
The SHCC keeps itself up-to-date on breakthroughs regarding HIV/AIDS research in treatment and steps closer to finding a cure, according to Mitchell.
“We’re constantly working with the California’s Department of Public Health, Fresno County Department of Public Health and California HIV/AIDS Research Program,” Mitchell said. “We’re working with all of those partners to inform us and preventing HIV and supporting patients with HIV.”
