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R2 PRT: HIV/AIDS Awareness Week - Wording/action:
(3) APhA-ASP encourages schools/colleges of pharmacy to initiate an HIV/AIDS Awareness Week within the surrounding community.

Reasons for the Action(s) / Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Bringing HIV/Aids awareness to underserved communities, like rural and overpopulated urban areas, is beneficial. These areas are often lacking in health care providers who routinely screen for HIV/AIDS and are not well equipped to provide adequate care for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. By implementing an HIV/AIDS Awareness week, student pharmacists would be increasing the awareness of this disease in the community and could potentially help to lessen the stigma that is often associated with HIV/AIDS.
As a result of the increase in awareness concerning HIV/AIDS, community members will be more likely to undergo HIV testing and thus help to prevent the spread of this disease. They will also be more aware of the importance of adhering to the HIV/AIDS medication regimen. Such an event would also serve to increase student pharmacists’ knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS.

Cons:
Depending on the surrounding community of the college/school of pharmacy, there may be some resistance to an HIV/AIDS Awareness week due to the stigma that is associated with the disease.

Stephen Creasy and Sara Snow ; 410-303-2962, 910-279-9323 ;
screasy@su.edu, ssnow@su.edu ; Shenandoah University