Ever since I was a freshman, I wanted to take AIDS and STI's, so I was pretty excited when I signed up for it this term (I'm a nerd, I know!). I didn't really have a whole lot of expectations for the class: I figured we would learn about AIDS and STI's in both biological terms and in terms of human experience and society. I didn't think too much about the history of AIDS and STI's, but I did think we would cover risky behaviors and the ways social institutions impact AIDS and STI's.
All of these things were covered, and though I knew some of it, there were many details that I was not aware of. It was also great learning about things like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Tearoom Trade Study. These were events that I had heard of, but knew nothing about. It is so much easier to understand the world today when we are able to examine the past.
I thought the most useful thing we learned about was the risk behaviors and prevelance of AIDS and STI's. Everyone knows about AIDS and STI's, and I think most people, at least in this country, are aware of what risky behaviors are. However, we got into a level of detail that was very good to know. Raising awareness and educating people is, I think, the first step in preventing the spread of AIDS and STI's. I think this class in general usually sends its students into a state of paranoia, but in this case, being paranoid is a good thing. I know that may not be the intention, but if it makes people stop and think before they get down and dirty, well then it's okay to cause paranoia!
I can't really think of anything that I would call the least useful or un-useful in my eyes. All of it was interesting, and all of it was information that I thought was important for us to know. I also wouldn't really change anything for next time. I like the blogs and the bi-weekly quizzes. The information and tests were straightforward and logical. As much as I hate the thought of group projects, I really enjoyed the one in this class.
I think this is a class that definitely must be taught at the university level. This is the time when kids are out on their own (sort of, no mommy and daddy around), meeting complete strangers, and learning about the effects of alcohol. This is a time in our lives when getting into trouble isn't hard to do. Though I think safe sex education should be taught starting much earlier, continuing it into college is a great thing to do. It is a reminder that we only have this one body, and that so much could happen to it that we can prevent. Even "smart" and educated people make poor choices, but I think that is less likely to happen if they have been reminded of why they shouldn't.
Thanks for such a fabulous class! I really enjoyed it!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Meeting Bob Skinner
I thought it was really great to hear Bob Skinner's presentation. I do not, to my knowledge, know anyone who has AIDS, so it was interesting to hear about the disease from someone who was living with it. It was also a great opportunity for us to ask questions, and Bob was very open and willing to share with the class anything we wanted to know. I appreciated his honesty.
I think the biggest thing I learned from Bob about living with an AIDS diagnosis was about the medications and side effects of said medications. We have all heard of the cocktails of pills that many AIDS patients take, but I guess I didn't realize there were so many different medications and combinations. I also had never seen or heard of any side effects of those medications, although it is not surprising. Some of the side effects seemed really awful, which is too bad. Not only is the patient diagnosed with a very stigmatized, incurable disease, but the side effects of the drugs he or she can take could make the treatment not an option for some people. The dilema the patient must face is: do I treat and manage the disease which will eventually lead to my death and suffer the painful and ugly side effects of the treatment, or live without drugs or their side effects, and come to my end sooner? I can see why this would be a problem for people diagnosed with AIDS.
I think Bob's experience with AIDS is both similar and different to many people around the world. I think it is similar in that most people feel the stigma from society pushing down on them, and the fear of being sick and eventually dying. I think his experience is different from many, many people's because he can actually afford the medication and has been able to use his experience as an education tool.
I can't remember for sure, but I thought Bob said the most common transmission route for HIV/AIDS in rural areas is through heterosexual encounters. It is probably hard to talk about HIV/AIDS in a rural setting because it is most likely more conservative and less open-minded about the issue, as opposed to a large city. People may assume the virus is just a "gay man's" disease, and therefore do not see themselves at risk. I think prevention in rural areas is difficult because in smaller towns you are more likely to know your neighbor or engage in or be a part of gossip. People may not want to talk about HIV/AIDS or get tested for it because they are close with many members of the community and don't want to face the stigma of anything concerning the disease.
Having Bob come to class really was a great opportunity for learning about the technicalities and first-hand experiences of AIDS. It was also nice to be able to put a real human face with the disease... like I said earlier, I don't know anyone with HIV/AIDS (that I know of) so it is not as personal or close to home for me. Seeing Bob, in class, in person, made the disease more personal. I really enjoyed hearing what he had to say.
I think the biggest thing I learned from Bob about living with an AIDS diagnosis was about the medications and side effects of said medications. We have all heard of the cocktails of pills that many AIDS patients take, but I guess I didn't realize there were so many different medications and combinations. I also had never seen or heard of any side effects of those medications, although it is not surprising. Some of the side effects seemed really awful, which is too bad. Not only is the patient diagnosed with a very stigmatized, incurable disease, but the side effects of the drugs he or she can take could make the treatment not an option for some people. The dilema the patient must face is: do I treat and manage the disease which will eventually lead to my death and suffer the painful and ugly side effects of the treatment, or live without drugs or their side effects, and come to my end sooner? I can see why this would be a problem for people diagnosed with AIDS.
I think Bob's experience with AIDS is both similar and different to many people around the world. I think it is similar in that most people feel the stigma from society pushing down on them, and the fear of being sick and eventually dying. I think his experience is different from many, many people's because he can actually afford the medication and has been able to use his experience as an education tool.
I can't remember for sure, but I thought Bob said the most common transmission route for HIV/AIDS in rural areas is through heterosexual encounters. It is probably hard to talk about HIV/AIDS in a rural setting because it is most likely more conservative and less open-minded about the issue, as opposed to a large city. People may assume the virus is just a "gay man's" disease, and therefore do not see themselves at risk. I think prevention in rural areas is difficult because in smaller towns you are more likely to know your neighbor or engage in or be a part of gossip. People may not want to talk about HIV/AIDS or get tested for it because they are close with many members of the community and don't want to face the stigma of anything concerning the disease.
Having Bob come to class really was a great opportunity for learning about the technicalities and first-hand experiences of AIDS. It was also nice to be able to put a real human face with the disease... like I said earlier, I don't know anyone with HIV/AIDS (that I know of) so it is not as personal or close to home for me. Seeing Bob, in class, in person, made the disease more personal. I really enjoyed hearing what he had to say.
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