Across the world today people will see a surplus of HIV/AIDS safety and awareness advertising. Online media groups both large and small are joining in to support awareness in recognition of World AIDS Day.

Students logging onto Facebook and Twitter will be met with a campaign to turn the sites ‘red’. The two media groups, home to millions of users from across the world, are urging its users to go “(RED)” in support of HIV/AIDS prevention. Both sites link back to Project (RED), a campaign started to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and across the world.

According to the Center For Disease Control, “At the end of 2006, an estimated 1.1 million persons in the United States were living with diagnosed or undiagnosed HIV/AIDS. In 2007, 42,655 new cases of HIV/AIDS in adults, adolescents, and children were diagnosed.”

An estimated 40,000 to 60,000 new infections (both reported and unreported) take place each year in the U.S. Even more infections are taking place in other countries around the world.

In efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS University Health Services is offering free screening for students. Screening for HIV/AIDS is completely confidential. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact University Health Services by calling (330) 672-2322 or go online by clicking here.

For more information events taking place today visit Project (RED) or  the World AIDS Day Web site.

-Christopher Clevenger