By Cathy Guiles

Perspectives Co-Editor

``I Care...Do You?'' That's the theme for World AIDS Day 2001, to be observed tomorrow, Dec. 1.

The question is a valid one. Many Calvin students were still in diapers when AIDS was first diagnosed in 1981 (or were born soon after) and are not old enough to remember when Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was mostly found among gay men and people with hemophilia who needed frequent blood transfusions. Today it's part of our collective memory. However, we should not become complacent about the risk of AIDS when we hear news of powerful drug treatments; nor should we cling to the old stereotypes of who gets AIDS and who doesn't. The truth is that AIDS is still a serious, incurable reality, not only in America but increasingly overseas.

A report issued this year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, ``As of Dec. 31, 2000, the CDC had received reports of 774,467 persons with AIDS in the United States; 448,060 (58 percent) are known to have died.'' The report gives the breakdown of those people: ``Of the cumulative 774,467 persons ever reported with AIDS in the United States through December 2000, 99 percent were adults or adolescents, 43 percent were white, 38 percent were black non-Hispanic,18 percent were Hispanic, 1 percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native.

To get a global perspective, consider these findings from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). At the end of 2000, an estimated 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, and 5.3 million were newly infected that year. At the end of 1999, more than half the adults (ages 15-49) were women (their higher numbers can be attributed to biological factors as well as inferior social status). Approximately 13,200,000 children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS; the number is at least one million in several African countries. Since the start of the AIDS epidemic, 21.8 million people have died from it.

AIDS clearly takes its hardest toll on the poor, who cannot afford medicines and treatment, are ignored by their governments, and in some situations face worse poverty due to social ostracism if they tell even their families about their condition. But people with HIV/AIDS who live in more affluent countries still have struggles. Some must stop working because of the adverse side effects of expensive drug therapies, and they face prejudice from employers, family members, friends and complete strangers.

As Christians, we are called to have compassion and work for justice for the sick, poor, and oppressed, and that certainly includes many people affected by HIV and AIDS. The biggest mistake we can make, besides ignoring (and being ignorant about) the situation, is judging those with HIV/AIDS.

The International Students Association here at Calvin deserves accolades for their excellent recent series of lectures on the biological, economic, political and cultural impact of AIDS. I learned a great deal from the lectures and was pleased to see so many students in attendance, showing that they are interested in this issue. But whether or not you were able to make it to the lectures, here are some suggestions for positive ways you can show you care.

First, wear a red ribbon tomorrow (and every day thereafter, if you wish) to remind yourself and others that AIDS is still a disease without a cure and a disease that does not discriminate.

Second, consider helping people with AIDS living right here in Grand Rapids. The AIDS Care Network of the Grand Rapids Area Council on Ecumenism often needs students with cars to take clients to doctors' visits or other appointments. Or visit the Service-Learning Center to find out about other opportunities.

Third, support AIDS programs here and around the world. With Christmas coming up, consider making a donation to a charity involved with AIDS treatment and/or prevention in honor of a friend or family member.

Fourth, stay informed on the many issues related to AIDS, such as lowering patent protections for prescription drugs so they can be made more cheaply and available to more people. Some progress has been made, but more still needs to happen.

Finally, if you've ever engaged in any conduct that you suspect would put you at risk for contracting HIV, please, please, please get tested. (Testing is available both at Health Services and through the Kent County Health Department.) At best, you'll gain peace of mind (and hopefully be prompted to reconsider your lifestyle choices). At worst, you'll be able to protect those you love and get the medical attention and emotional support you need.

Above all else, show you care by educating yourself, protecting yourself, and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. The world has lost too many wonderful people from this disease in twenty years, and we are only beginning to feel the repercussions. As United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said, ``AIDS has become a major development crisis. It kills millions of adults in their prime. It fractures and impoverishes families, weakens workforces, turns millions of children into orphans, and threatens the social and economic fabric of communities and the political stability of nations.'' May their deaths not be in vain because we refused to learn and remember.