Screening in Park City for World AIDS Day
November 28, 2014
Over a million Americans are HIV positive. One in six don’t know it. World AIDS day, Dec. 1, is approaching fast and with it comes a perfect time for Parkites to learn more about the disease and what they can do to help stop it.
Monday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. the Summit County Planned Parenthood Teen Council will host a screening of "How to Survive a Plague" at the Treasure Mountain Junior High library. The film recounts the work of AIDS activists in the 1980s as they struggled to find a cure for a disease that was killing thousands.
The screening will run until approximately 8:30 p.m. and will be followed by a brief discussion. Although the event is free, participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations for the Utah AIDS Foundation food bank. Attendees will be served pizza donated by The Junction.
For students on Summit County’s Teen Council, an entity of Planned Parenthood that trains teenagers as peer advisors and sexual health advocates, the goal of the screening is to increase understanding of HIV and the social stigmas that haunt those that are HIV positive.
"It’s important to be educated and to be aware of current issues, and HIV is an issue that affects many people," said Teen Council member and PCHS senior Tori Vipond. "There are a lot of negative stigmas associated with HIV and we are hoping to erase some of the preconceptions people have when they meet someone with HIV."
"The event will also be a great way to support the Utah AIDS Foundation," added Teen Council Member and PCHS junior Lindsey Gordan.
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Resources for prevention and testing will be provided at the event.
"World AIDS Day allows communities to unite to fight against AIDS caused by the spread of an HIV infection," explained Erica Torres, a Community Health Educator at Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. "It is an opportunity to raise awareness, start conversations about prevention and resources, and debunk any myths around the topic."
Torres stated that she hopes people come to "empower our communities, families, friends, and peers to fight for the world we want."
"How to Survive a Plague"
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Treasure Mountain Junior High Library
2530 Kearns Blvd
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