HOU

Student knowledge on HIV tests lacks

News Notebook

By:

Posted: 8/28/08

Most college students understand how they can prevent the transmission of HIV but are less knowledgeable about HIV testing, according to a new University study.

Su-I Hou, associate professor in the College of Public Health, surveyed more than 500 students and found that they scored higher on general questions related to HIV and AIDS (82 percent correct) than items specifically related to HIV testing (72 percent correct).

A lack of knowledge about HIV testing can be dangerous, Hou said. She explained that most HIV tests do not measure or detect the virus itself but instead look for body's reaction to the virus - the presence of antibodies to HIV.

Antibodies generally appear within three months after HIV infection, but it may take up to six months in some people.

During this "window period" an infected person may test negative yet still transmit the virus to others.

"We need to make sure our prevention messages are comprehensive," said Hou, whose results appear in the July issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association. "In addition to talking about avoiding transmission, health communication efforts should promote testing, as well."

HIV disproportionately affects blacks, who account for 13 percent of the U.S. population but nearly half (49 percent) of the Americans who get HIV and AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hou notes that despite this disparity, there are surprisingly few studies that examine differences in HIV knowledge between black and white college students. To fill this gap, she surveyed 222 black students from 15 historically black colleges and universities and 335 white students.

Because people can be reluctant to discuss sensitive information, Hou used an online survey. She recruited the students using flyers, classroom announcements, e-mail and even Facebook.

"One of the best ways to find college students is on Facebook, since that's where they meet and interact with each other," Hou said. "We found that two-thirds of our participants were recruited online, either through Facebook or through e-mail."

Though the study found that there were no significant differences between groups in scores related to general or testing-specific knowledge of HIV, it did reveal that blacks rated significantly higher on their perceived knowledge of HIV.

The study also found that black students were nearly seven times more likely to be tested for HIV.

"Studies show that if you have higher perceived knowledge, you tend to be tested more," Hou said. "And that may partially contribute to the higher testing observed among black students in the study."

Adams schedules budget cut forums

University President Michael F. Adams has scheduled two forums on the University's budget for students, faculty and staff in September.

The first forum will be Sept. 5 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Masters Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. The second forum will be Sept. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Tate Student Center Theater.

Each forum will include a formal presentation and time for questions and answers. Each will be streamed live at www.uga.edu/ and a link to each session will be posted on the Web site for later viewing.

- University News Service

Retired professor of art dies in fire

An Athens-Clarke County fire investigator said a candle sparked Monday's blaze that killed a retired University art professor.

Fire Inspector Alan Morse said the fire was ruled an accident. He said it started when a candle set a couch on fire in a bedroom. The wood-frame house was heavily damaged.

Authorities said 66-year-old William "Bill" Marriott died from smoke and soot inhalation.

The fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. at his Meigs Street home.

Marriott retired last year as associate professor in the Lamar Dodd School of Art.

Marriott, who earned a master's degree in fine arts at Yale University, was known for the witty cartoons outside his door and was a collector of many art pieces, which may have been lost in the fire.

Although he hadn't displayed his work publicly in many years, he did occasionally display in Athens in the 1990s, from the Lyndon House Art Center Juried Exhibition in 1993 to the 1998 Mental Health Benefit Auction, according to Marriott's résumé.

ACC fire investigators worked on Monday to determine what sparked the blaze.

Firefighters arrived within five minutes of the 911 call and found the house engulfed in fire, according to ACC Assistant Fire Chief Lionel Huff.

- Associated Press