In an event called the “Rainbow Dialogues” held by the undergraduate student government and the Queer Alliance on Tuesday, more than 20 students were infected with HIV – at least figuratively.
After participating in an icebreaker which left most of the participants “infected,” students were able to see how quickly a sexually transmitted infection can travel.
In the icebreaker, three people were given cards that were labeled with letters “A” for abstinence, three were given “C” for a condom used correctly, and three were given “X” for an infection. Students were infected by getting a signature from the person with an “X” card, or by meeting people who had gotten a signature from the “X” person.
The icebreaker and event were hosted as an effort to promote sexual health awareness among UCLA students and is part of a series of events for Get Tested Week. Students were given blank blue cards and instructed to meet three other people and get their signatures.
The purpose of the event was to provide a discussion group to address prevalent issues related to STIs in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, such as access to testing.
Though free HIV and STI testing will be available to students this week, most people at the event said that is not enough time for all students to get tested.
“We’re hoping that this (event) will give more students access to testing,” said Julio Rodriguez, co-chair of the Queer Alliance.
Another issue the event addressed was the lifetime ban instituted by the Food and Drug Administration which prevents men who have had sex with other men from donating blood.
The ban, established in 1985, was instituted on the basis that gay men are at a higher risk of getting and transmitting HIV/AIDS to other people, which poses a risk to blood recipients.
“This discriminatory policy is out there and it should be repealed,” said Gary Maldonado, a third-year sociology student. “So you can’t donate blood unless you lie.”
And this is what some students have resorted to in order to donate blood.
“I wanted to donate blood and I didn’t think the (ban) should stop me. It was right after 9/11 and everyone was donating blood. I didn’t want something like my sexual orientation to stop me from donating blood,” said Jeremy Boulat, a fourth-year art history student. “Besides, I knew that they would test my blood to make sure if there was any chance that I had a disease.”
Mainly, students said they see the ban as an attack on the LGBT community.
“Gay men aren’t even the largest group infected with HIV/AIDs. And yet it’s a lifetime ban on gay men. Other people get banned for only a few months,” said Cynthia Chen, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, referring to the six-month ban on other people, such as those who have recently gotten tattoos or have had hepatitis.
The Queer Alliance plans on getting students to sign a petition Dec. 1 stating their opposition to the ban, which will be sent to the FDA.
Other issues discussed included a more effective way to slow down the spread of STIs.
“People should focus on substance abuse and how that leads to unsafe sex, instead of promoting safe sex. I think people understand what safe sex is,” said Travis Broussard, a graduate student at the School of Public Policy.
Another issue discussed at Tuesday’s event was the way people with AIDS are portrayed in magazines.
“Magazines like Metro and Positive glamorize people with AIDS,” said Margaux Permutt, co-chair of Queer X Girl and a fifth-year world arts and cultures student.
Permutt also said some people may be attracted to AIDS because it seems to be associated with an underground culture and it can cause people to lose weight quickly.
“People have become apathetic to the disease,” she said.
Rodriguez said he hopes the event can initiate change in the way people view sex.
“We need to talk about safer ways to have sex, not stopping sex.”