Image via Wikipedia

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a recent effort by AIDS Services in Asian Communities (ASIAC) — a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization — to raise HIV/AIDS awareness by offering free movie tickets on Locust Walk. While I congratulated the efforts of organizations like ASIAC, I concluded that it was disturbing that based on student behavior, organizations thought that students now needed material incentives to get themselves checked.

One story in the news this week highlighted another distressing social trend in the context of sexual health.

CNN.com (you know, that reputable news organization that sells T-shirts of its headlines?) recently reported on an initiative by inSpot.org, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. According to the article published on October 24, 2008, you can now inform your sexual partners past and present (future?) via an e-card to get themselves screened for an STD with a message like this:

“Who? What? When? Where? It doesn’t matter. I got an STD; you might have it too. Please get checked out.”

(more…)

Normally, as anybody else on campus would, I try to ignore the numerous flyers on Locust Walk as much as I can.

Honestly, your “clever” methods of trying to catch my attention by saying “Here, you throw this away!” is not funny and guarantees I will never check out your organization, ever (although I will never tire of accepting free bananas and watching Strictly Funk shake it).

A couple days ago, however, one group — AIDS Services in Asian Communities (ASIAC) — and their flyers did manage to catch my attention. ASIAC is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that dedicates itself to raising HIV/AIDS awareness within the city’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

First, kudos to ASIAC and groups like it that tirelessly dedicate themselves to important community issues such as HIV-related services.

Second, shame on the student population for apparently being so woefully ignorant of safe sex and HIV/AIDS issues that ASIAC felt that the only way to get students to get a HIV-test was by offering “free movie tickets” (see photo)!

(more…)