The Daily
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Mississippian
Vol. 102, No. 135
The Student Newspaper of The University Of Mississippi | Serving Ole Miss and Oxford since 1911
UM Health Promotion Center offers free HIV testing 54 56 45
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HIV Cases State District 1
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BY MAGGIE MCDANIEL
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2013 SOURCE: Mississippi State Department of Health
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GRAPHIC BY MADDIE THEOBALD
This graph represents monthly provisional reportable disease statistics for people affected with HIV statewide and in District 1, which includes Lafayette County.
According to Takilya T. Davis, health educator at the university’s Health Promotion Center, the UM Health Promotion Center started testing students for HIV for free around November of last year. The free testing was offered by the Mississippi Department of Health. The department offered to provide kits; all the university needed to do was get the word out to the students. The Health Promotion Center has advertised the free testing through multiple forms of social media. According to Davis, she says statistics show that there is a high risk for HIV and that the cases are rising for the 13 – 25 year olds. The CDC is working with the Mississippi Department of Health to try to get as many people in that age group tested as possible. Davis also mentioned Ole Miss is not the only school in the state given this opportunity. Many other schools, including Southern Miss, are taking advantage of this offer as well. Since the beginning of this semester, Davis said she has had about 50 or so students come to
her to be tested for HIV. Davis thinks the testing is a great idea, and results come in fast. She does not understand why students wouldn’t want to take advantage of it. “It’s free. It would make sense to come because it doesn’t cost anything, and it only takes 20 minutes at the most,” Davis said. According to Dr. Travis Wayne Yates, director of University Health Service at the student health center, the free testing is more of a grant given to the university by the Mississippi Department of Health. Previously, students would receive an STD testing in the health center clinic for a charge of $35. This testing included the HIV testing along with tests for other STDs. Now, students can get a free test done by Davis in the Health Promotion Center upstairs of the Student Health Center for free on Thursdays. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, the state had the seventh highest rate for HIV infection in 2011. The department also recorded that Mississippi reported 547 cases of HIV in 2012. Provisional Reportable DisSee HIV, PAGE 5
UM American Pharmacists Association hopes to educate students about drug abuse BY JULIE LABERGE jklaberg@go.olemiss.edu
The American Pharmacists Association strives to teach the youth of Mississippi about the dangers of over-the-counter medication and prescription drugs. The association just finished their Generation Rx initiative for the semester. The program, held April 24-27, included speaking with seventh through 10th graders about how prescription and over-thecounter drugs, although beneficial, can be dangerous if abused or not taken properly. This was the first year the American Pharmacists Association was able to do this, and they hope to branch out to other schools in the future. Jordan L. Kelley, pharmacy stu-
Opinion:
dent, explained why the program lasted for one week. “We just did it for one week because we have never talked to students before and wanted to get a feel for how we come across to them,” Kelley said. The American Pharmacists Association gave presentations and involved the students in their projects. Kelley explained how difficult it can be to relay the message to a younger crowd, since younger people are often under the impression that bad things aren’t going to happen to them. “We thought it would be a good idea to show these students what addiction is like and hopefully prevent addiction before it starts,” Kelley said.
Kelsey Stephens, a first year pharmacy student and the president-elect for the American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists chapter at Ole Miss, coordinated and developed Generation Rx. Stephens said the idea for Generation Rx originated from the increase in prescription drug abuse in recent years. “We decided to address this issue by educating the youth in the local community,” Stephens said. Stephens said prescription drug abuse is an important issue that needs to be addressed early on. “We believe that making an impact on students at a young age COURTSEY GENERATION RX
See PHARMACISTS, PAGE 4
Feature Photos: Iles Signs ‘Natchez Burning’
Prescription drug culture
Sports:
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Column: The jinx is over
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