By Brandon Seng
ConnectMichigan Alliance

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is still gripping our college population, with half of all new infections in the United States occurring in people 25 years of age or younger. It is estimated that one million people are currently living with HIV in the United States, with approximately 40,000 new infections occurring each year.  Marygrove College, through an innovative partnership, has been working to educate their community around this very sensitive issue. 

Nationally, of new HIV/AIDS infections, 54% are African American and of new infections in women, 64% are African American women.  These numbers are of particular importance to Marygrove College, where nearly 80% of the students enrolled are African American women.

These numbers have inspired a partnership between Marygrove and the AIDS Partnership Michigan (APM).  Since 2002, these two groups have been working together, educating
students and the community in AIDS awareness and prevention. Marygrove students have been provided in-class training in several areas related to this issue.  Some topics include the fundamentals of HIV/AIDS, the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS, the cultural aspects of HIV/AIDS, and skill development in leading small group discussions.

APM training prepares Marygrove students for presentations they make in their
communities, educating community groups on the topic.  Marygrove’s HIV/AIDS experts have made appearances in churches, senior citizen buildings, high schools, dormitories and a community college. The presentations focus on HIV/AIDS as a health care issue, not a moral issue; therefore, students are challenged to base their knowledge of facts and scientific evidence, not personal opinions.

Students exiting the program report becoming more open to issues of diversity, being less judgmental, more inclusive of others and more apt to base knowledge on evidence, rather than opinion.  This partnership unites the students of Marygrove College and their community around a difficult issue, creating knowledgeable, engaged and empathetic citizens.