Hi, my name is John Doe and I have human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]. This is a virus that could lead to a deadly disease. The virus is slowly attacking my immune system, making it more and more difficult for me to fight off illnesses. HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS.

HIV has been making headlines lately because of an outbreak at Normandy High School [NHS], a school located in the north St. Louis suburbs. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, 50 students may have been exposed to the virus. This information led the district to offer testing to any student interested. NHS called all students down to a testing center to get tested and the students indicated whether or not he or she wanted to be tested. This way students were able to maintain confidentiality.

At NHS, HIV has become a regular topic of discussion. At KHS, many students do not regularly discuss the virus, therefore it has a different meaning for KHS students.

“When I think about [HIV], I think of a deadly disease that needs to be prevented and a cure needs to be found soon,” Courtney Krus, sophomore, said.

For Zoe Koch, senior, the disease makes her think of unprotected sex.

According to Until There’s A Cure, an organization devoted to HIV/AIDS awareness, half of all new infections occur in young adults ages 25 and younger. However, many students are not aware of exactly how this disease is spread.

“I know for sure it is through sexual contact,” Krus said. “But other than that I don’t know much.”

However, sexual contact is only one way the disease can be spread. According to Julie Tadros, school nurse, there are a variety of other ways the disease can be spread.

“HIV can be spread through anything that shares bodily fluids,” Tadros said.

HIV, being referred to as a sexually transmitted disease, tends to lend itself more to a sex aspect, but there are other ways that HIV can be spread such as through the transfer of blood, drugs, piercings or tattoos. According to Kirkwood School District policy on communicable diseases, HIV cannot be spread through social or community contact.

Some believe HIV is spread through giving blood. However, Tadros said this is not true.

“People that take blood use sterile equipment,” Tadros said. “They use a sterile needle and put the blood into a sterile container.”

The question then becomes, what would happen if there was an HIV outbreak at KHS?

Many students believe what NHS officials are doing, offering testing to anyone interested, is appropriate.

“I believe people have the right to know,” Krus said. “If the testing is offered people shouldn’t have to do it, but it should be offered.”

According to Tadros, testing should always be free and available.

“I think that it is important that confidential testing is available at any site at any time,” Tadros said. “You can always go the the St. Louis health department if you need to get it done.”

Keeping confidentiality in a school environment is important.

“It is important to maintain confidentiality because a school is such a close community,” Tadros said.

HIV is a reportable disease, meaning that if a doctor or nurse finds the disease they must report it to the health department. This is how health departments get accurate representation of those infected, Tadros said.

According to Tadros, awareness for HIV has risen.

“I think students are more aware than they used to be,” Tadros said. “When I was young you didn’t talk about it.”

The most some people in the past would say is to not have sex. According to Tadros, it used to be that a person was not supposed to touch bodily fluids of known infected persons. However, now the policy is called universal precautions. This means if something is wet you should have gloves before you touch it, not just from people known to be infected, but from anyone.

“We should be universally aware because it is the times that you don’t know that someone is infected. It is very dangerous,” Tadros said.

Although awareness has risen, Tadros said there is still a stigma attached to HIV.

“I think that there is still a lot of misunderstanding,” Tadros said. “People think that it is only a disease for people who do drugs or people who are gay and that is simply not true.”