Carolinian

Issue date: 11/14/06 Section: Life

Media Credit: Brook Taylor Brook's Freddie Mercury doll, pictured above, is wearing a red ribbon to demonstrate both Brook's dedication to AIDS awareness and her extreme nerdiness.

Nov. 24, 1991 was the day that Freddie Mercury, front man of the insanely successful rock band Queen, succumbed to AIDS after a reported four-year battle with the HIV virus. Each year on the anniversary of this shocking loss, millions of people all over the world (including yours truly) light candles, observe moments of silence, and partake in more personal rituals to honor and remember Freddie.

Because his life's work has had such a huge impact on me, I decided years ago to show tribute to Mr. Mercury through activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Since then, I've donated time and money to several great organizations that are just as passionate as me about stopping this horrible virus. I've also made it my duty to use writing as a means of getting the word out on awareness and prevention, and this makes my third annual column for The Carolinian on this topic.

Maybe it's because the cause is never too far from my heart, but it astonishes me how so many people are quick to forget that HIV is still out there and dangerous as ever. According to the Elton John AIDS Foundation website (www.ejaf.org), the number of Americans living with HIV reached one million in 2005 and over 3.1 million people worldwide died from AIDS - the disease the HIV virus evolves into - in that year alone. With statistics like this on something that kills, it blows my mind that people seem to be so willing to forgo using condoms because they just assume or believe their partners when they say they don't have it. I personally don't trust anyone that much.

That's why using protection properly and getting tested frequently (around every six months) are a big part of my sexual practices. You should do the same. Thankfully, there is a fabulous organization here in Greensboro called Triad Health Project (www.triadhealthproject.com) that offers free testing every Monday. You would have to pay for the same tests at the UNCG Student Health Services, and I wouldn't recommend going there anyway.

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