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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1985)
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THE mkt Mi MICRO CENTER ANNOUNCES An Expanded Software List Discounts from 20 % to 40 % We continue to sell and support the following microcomputers: Discounts from 25 % to 40 % EVU HEWLETT PACKARD data systems fpqpplG computer AT&T Information Systems COME BY AND VISIT THE TEXAS ASM MICRO CENTER LOCATED IN THE MSC BASEMENT OPEN 9AM - 4 PM ACROSS FROM THE BOWLING ALLEY MONDAY - FRIDAY Battalion Classified 845-2611 ■ ■ \* ' \ mmm AIDS (continued from page 1) hearing about AIDS for two years. It didn’t really scare me until recently, when my boyfriend told me about his HTLV-III test being positve. Then I heard somebody had died that I knew, and that’s when I thought, ‘Oh, I really better start changing.’ ” HTLV—III is a virus that has been linked to AIDS, but has been found in some healthy homosexual men. Why some people develop the illness and others do not is not yet clear. This virus has made possible the development of blood tests that will indicate exposure to the AIDS virus. Also, it helps blood banks determine if a donor can be used. Wallace says the Department of Health is now giving the test because it gives people a chance to go some where else besides blood banks. “The HTLV—III test is not an AIDS test,” Wallace says. “It’s just a way to help determine if a person has been exposed. If someone takes the test and it is positive, the exposed vic tim should do everyting possible not to spread the virus. If the test comes out negative, the person should plan for keeping it this way by using safe sex techniques.” Noah says the health department works with the state health depart ment in helping AIDS victims. “Mr. Wallace comes from Austin and together we both go and see the physician and the patient in terms of his disease and anyone else involved,” Noah says. “We are responsible for the epidemiology aspects of disease — who else will be affected.” Mahnke says when the two cases of AIDS were reported at St. Joseph Hospital, people in the hospital were concernea about having contact with the AIDS patients. “At first, they were concerned about even going into the room,” Mahnke says. “But now they know the precautions that need to be taken are very simple. We take the same kind for hepatitus. “In the role of a counselor, I try to help the patient manage a problem that may terminate in death. I give him what information is available in trying to get him to change his behav ior in terms of protecting people he will come in contact with.” The three A&M students say AIDS literature dealing with safe sex tech niques is abundant. “The AIDS foundation in Houston distributes this pamphlet that is very blunt about what you can do and can not do,” one says. “It’s part of the Play Safe Campaign, imrs of nui Rather than have drawings of human beings, it has igs, drawings of bears and rabbits in the literature.” Another student says, “The Play Safe Campaign advocates safe sex practices. In other words, it tells you what you can’t do or shouldn’t do be cause it will increase your chance of getting AIDS.” The third student says, “The gay community is very aware of the prob- “The thing that concerns me most is that in . . . Bryan-College Station, people will have these symptoms biit not come and get checked. ” — Alan Noah, a Brazos County Health Department rep resentative. lem and is trying to help fight the dis ease. The Play Safe Campaign has a beef-cake calendar — guys in bikinis. The organization sells the calendars and the money goes to AIDS re search.” The time interval between expo sure to the cause of AIDS and the ap pearance of the first sign or symptom may be up to two years. An individual may experience symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, low grade per sistent fever, night sweats, unex plained and substantial weight loss, shortness of breath, extreme tired ness, malaise, persistent diarrhea (a month or longer), recurring rashes and infections. » Noah says these signs and symp toms do not necessarily mean a per son has AIDS, but the person should get checked if the symptoms persist. “The thing that concerns me most is that in an environment like Bryan- College Station, people will have tnese symptoms but not come and get checked,” he says. “In a small town there is a lot of discrimination against gays. I realize I would probably get a greater response, but people are afraid to come into a public health de partment because of the fear some one will see them.” The A&M students say the GSS does not officially discourage taking the H TLV—III test, hut they do dis courage it on the advice of the KS Foundation in Houston. “The reason is the fact, number one, it doesn’t really tell you if yo u have AIDS or not,” one member says “Number two, if you are seen taking the test, then you’re labeled as a ho mosexual and it may he used against you.” One member says that he feels dis criminated against because he is gay and thus more susceptible to AIDS. “People complained at work,’ he says. “They didn’t want to shop where I work because they knew 1 was ga) and they were afraid I would give them AIDS.” Mahnke says the opposite is true. “A nurse, doctor or anyone isn’t m jeopardy when around an AIDS vic tim,” Mahnke says. “It’s more that we are a fear.to them because all their im munities are gone and we carry viru ses.” Four high-risk groups have been identified so far: • homosexual or bisexual men, • intravaneous drug users, • recent Hatian immigrants, • hemophiliacs. Groups, in which AIDS has oc curred but in which the degree of risl is not yet known, include female se* partners of people witli AIDS, chm dren of mothers with AIDS and male prison inmates. “The average life span for these cases is around IS months, but it va ries depending on the type of dis ease," Wallace says. “The 12,256cases of AIDS that have been reported is a staggering number. It doesn’t haveto be so large if people would practice safe sex techriques.” Noah asks, “Isn’t it scary to think that this disease is so widespread in the population that it has the poten tial of becoming an epidemic? “Now it can be transmitted to the female population by having sex with bisexual males. It has the capability o’ reaching major proportions. ” For some homosexuals, AIDS doesn’t seem to be reality — yet. “You hear about it over and over again in the media, so you become used to it," one homosexual student says. “I know 1 hadn’t thought se riously about it until a person close to me died. For a few days I was really upset. Sometimes I sit and think, My God, I wonder if I’ve got it?’ ” OFFICIALS WANTED Flag Football |/Y 16” Softball Good Pay Flexible Hours Y Training Program 1st Meeting: Mon, Sept. 2, 6 p.m., Rm 164 Read Bldg. 2nd Meeting: Wed, Sept. 4, 6 p.m., Rm 164 Read Bldg. Intramural-Recreational Sports Room 159 Read Bldg. 845-7826 Syr SPACE With a mtg er’s grunt, van Hoftei spinning ol cessfully cc project in s H “Good spacewalke Syncom 3 i the space revolution: that’s great “Well dc manderjo Discovery’s Van H< away from on the enc hot arm, 2 Ocean. Syi LOS AN were foui “Night St ings, and heavy-me reports sj The si Saturday by a grou he allege! a car. Ramin day after unspecifi auto thef “He’s t curity cel ams, a L “It’s for 1 uties.” Police Ramirez. His To 245th days I Day. To Foi ingo mally States USS Work On In don t thous few li burnt In odore at th “Spea stick.’ In into i mph i