advocacy

Long-standing institutions that seek to move toward social correctness in 2021 are often proud to declare that those who are closest to the issue are closest to the solution and should be driving the change. While true, in its current application, this proximity to justice and advocacy rhetoric for the oppressed manifests only in mere concept. It is nothing more than rubber-stamped language rearticulated from organization to organization that expresses understanding and empathy. The reality is that well-known organizations continue to profit from prioritized funding, accessible social resources, and supportive networks that would be more beneficial to Black and Indigenous people in communities like Harlem. These benefits should be reallocated to smaller, nontraditional community-based projects and organizations that are birthed right out of the neighborhoods they serve.

Though I find the arguments for veganism incontrovertible, I don’t want to present a universal case for veganism here. Rather, I want to address the strange phenomenon that I’ve encountered when discussing this with the progressive, socially conscious people on this campus. We’re often reputed as being the “activist Ivy,” given that a large portion of our student body earnestly cares about issues of social justice. But I’ve noticed that many of these activists dismiss animal advocacy as a serious cause—and I find that troubling.

The first time I felt good being queer was the first time I had sex. For a short 20 minutes, my sexuality was not about my family, God, or the police; it wasn't about fear, anxiety, or guilt. It was about me. And that felt fucking good. However, the majority of men who have sex with other men do not feel the same way. A psychology professor at Hunter College found that “half of gay men think of HIV most or all of the time during sex.” Not the pleasure, not their partner, but the fear of contracting a virus that they have been taught to believe will end their lives as they know them.

To the Editor:

There are several inaccuracies in the Columbia Spectator opinion piece, "It's time to update Columbia's HIV testing standards" (Feb.5, 2013).

The Gay Health Advocacy Project is open to everyone at Columbia, a point that we make explicitly in advertisements and on the Columbia Health website. Significantly more non-LGBT people use the service annually than do LGBT people.

Students who would prefer to use a service outside of Columbia may contact us during walk-in hours or by phone to learn about other testing sites.

The student volunteer advocates come from many of Columbia's undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. On the rare occasion that an advocate and client recognize each other, a different advocate is available. Pre-test sessions are catered to clients' needs, and may be as short or long, simple or involved as a client wishes. All information is completely confidential, and all advocates are HIPAA-certified, upholding the strictest level of confidentiality.

Columbia Health offers HIV testing, prevention, and treatment services, including PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and PCR testing under special circumstances. The PCR test is not considered to be a useful screening tool, due to the greater likelihood of false positive results documented in studies and its considerable expense. The HIV antibody test used at Columbia is very sensitive and generally is able to reliably detect HIV-associated antibodies beginning four to five weeks after exposure. The longest that it could take is three months.

If you have any questions about testing, HIV, or other sexual health matters, do not hesitate to stop by during walk-in hours, listed on our website, www.health.columbia.edu/ghap, or to call the office at (212) 854-6655.

Daniel Chiarilli
Assistant Director
Gay Health Advocacy Project
Columbia Health
February 6, 2013

To respond to this letter, or to submit an op-ed, contact opinion@columbiaspectator.com.

The first AIDS cases in the United States were reported the year that President Obama transferred to Columbia College: 1981, exactly 30 years ago. Without any treatment options, AIDS was an inescapable death sentence. Today, effective treatment options are available, so why are people still dying from AIDS? The answer is in part due to President Obama's failure to lead the fight against AIDS. The importance of American leadership for HIV/AIDS policies is monumental. The U.S. is the largest donor to HIV treatment internationally and our contributions greatly influence commitment from other nations. Last year, when the U.S. reduced its pledge to the Global Fund, other nations followed suit and some stopped donating entirely. As a result, the Global Fund cancelled its most recent round of grants last week. Tomorrow on World AIDS Day, 30 years into the AIDS pandemic, President Obama must decide whether to accept leadership and raise funding to the level needed—6 million on treatment by 2013—or to let down his alma mater and deny treatment to millions of people around the world. Two years after Obama's graduation, the Gay Health Advocacy Project (GHAP) was founded by current director Laura Pinsky, beginning a strong commitment on this campus to fight AIDS. The group greatly expanded student access to HIV prevention information and testing. Today, over 1,000 students are tested there yearly free of charge­—a vital service considering that over 20 percent of HIV-positive Americans do not know their status and 42 percent of new HIV infections occur in people ages 15 to 24. On top of excellent health care, a dedicated core of faculty working on HIV treatment, vaccine trials, and epidemiology, plus an ongoing student commitment to advocating for global health justice, has placed Columbia at the forefront of the fight against AIDS. Columbia took the lead when there was little hope in this fight, and today we continue that legacy knowing that the end of AIDS is possible. Research published this past year has turned optimism into pragmatism, proving that we can now truly end the pandemic. A National Institute of Health clinical study (HPTN 052­—published in May 2011) demonstrated that people living with HIV who received treatment were 96 percent less likely to transmit the virus to their partner in comparison to those not receiving treatment. We can accomplish two goals at once: HIV treatment and prevention now effectively come in one dose. Unless President Obama takes leadership, these remarkable breakthroughs will not actualize their full life-saving potential. The economic barrier to ending the pandemic will be reduced if Obama takes action now. In June, The Economist considered the results of the NIH study and reported that scaling up HIV treatment to a maximum of $22 billion by 2015 would prevent 12.4 million people from becoming HIV-positive and save the lives of 7.4 million people with AIDS . The up front treatment costs required now would pay for themselves in savings by preventing millions of infections in the future. Scaling up treatment now could end AIDS by 2041. Today we stand 30 years into the AIDS pandemic, and if funding allows, 30 years from now AIDS will be history. The President sits at a crucial moment in history—we could truly be at the turning point of the pandemic. If he decides to take leadership and fund treatment to the level needed—six million on treatment by 2013—we will stand strongly behind him. Should he choose not to do so, he must live with the knowledge of exactly how long, by his inaction, he has extended this pandemic. For our part, we hope he makes the former decision on World AIDS Day tomorrow. Because when hindsight is 30:30, you sure as hell better like what you see. Margaret Meder is a Barnard College sophomore majoring in Chemistry and is director of Outreach for Columbia University Student Global Aids Campaign. Amirah Sequeira is a Columbia College senior majoring in history and is co-president of CU SGAC. This op-ed reflects the views of CU SGAC.