A dramatization from the play, Condomonium, which was performed by the University Park Ensemble last week

"I had sex for the first time when I was eighteen years old. It was with a guy named Rick. He was a roommate of a friend of mine. I went over to their house one night to watch a movie. It got late, my friend went to bed, and Rick and I were just sitting on the couch together alone. One thing led to another and it just happened. Nothing big developed, we went out just once after that, then went our separate ways. I thought that was just the end of it.

"But it wasn't. About a year after my encounter with him, I found out Rick had the HIV infection and was really sick. I panicked. I called up the Health Service at Ritenour to get an HIV test, worried myself sick during the time it took to schedule the appointment, have the test, and get the results.

"All along I blamed Rick for not telling me he was HIV-positive, not being careful, not taking precautions, for not using a condom, not talking about it. But then it finally dawned on me - wait a minute, I didn't do any of those things either. I realized I had responsibility in this also."

Sadly, this example is similar to what we hear from students who come to UHS for help. Students, both male and female, caught up in the passion of the moment or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, engaging in high-risk sex, not using any protection from sexually transmitted infections, and usually quite scared by the time they come to UHS for an HIV test.

They have good reason to be fearful. And they are not alone.

In Pennsylvania alone, the most recent statistics show that more than 26,000 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed since the AIDS epidemic began. In the United States, more than one million people have been infected with the HIV virus. The number of people diagnosed with AIDS has grown to 816,149. And 459,102 of those cases are the result of unprotected sex.

If HIV/AIDS is one of those topics you would rather just not think about or you think it is something other people get, not you or your friends, then you are mistaken. If you are sexually active or you plan to be, you need to know how to protect yourself -- before it is too late, before you find out that someone you slept with or are sleeping with has HIV or another sexually transmitted disease.

Some Facts about HIV/AIDS

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), the most severe, life-threatening form of HIV infection.

Despite its serious consequences, HIV is a fragile virus, meaning it doesn't last long enough outside the body to be caught from the air, or in water, or off objects and surfaces. Nobody "catches" HIV infection the way people catch a cold. HIV is tricky because most people with HIV don't have any obvious symptoms and can have HIV for many years without feeling or looking sick.

They may not even know they are infected.

But they can still pass the virus on to others through semen, vaginal fluids, blood, and breast milk.

Most people with HIV were probably exposed to the virus during sexual activity with an infected partner or by injecting the virus into their blood stream with a contaminated, shared needle or syringe while taking intravenous drugs.

It is believed that during sexual intercourse, vaginal secretions and semen carry the virus through a break in the skin or through a mucous membrane.

Anal intercourse with an infected partner without using a condom is an extremely high-risk activity because of the opportunity for the virus to enter the blood stream through tears in the rectal tissue.

Unprotected vaginal or oral intercourse is also risky. The use of condoms and/or latex dam barriers during oral, anal or vaginal intercourse is highly recommended as a means of reducing risk for those who are sexually active.

So, you are at risk of HIV if you've had sex with a man or woman who has had other partners, or if you have shared drug needles or had sex with someone who has.

You are probably not at risk if you've never had sex, or have been monogamous (had sex only with one partner who doesn't have HIV and who only has sex with you) and have not shared needles to inject drugs.

HIV Testing at University Health Services

Tests for HIV/AIDS check for the presence of antibodies to the virus. The presence of antibodies suggests that the person has been exposed to HIV, not that he or she has AIDS, or will necessarily develop AIDS in the future.

UHS provides two types of confidential HIV tests: a blood test and the OraSure HIV-1 test that collects cheek cells from inside your mouth. More details about the tests, appointments, costs, and results are listed on our Web site at www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/hivaids.htm.

To talk with someone about your concerns, call the Office of Health Promotion and Education at 863-0461 or the Advice Nurse at 814-863-4463.