UC San Diego Commemorates World AIDS Day Dec. 1 with Memorial Quilt Display and Events

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The University of California San Diego will honor World AIDS Day on Thursday, Dec. 1 to raise awareness of the impact that HIV/AIDS has had and continues to have on the San Diego community, the nation and world.  In recognition of the international event day, which was established in 1988, the campus will sponsor a number of free activities open to the public including a display of three sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a presentation on the HIV prevention pill, talks for specific communities and populations impacted by HIV, artistic performances and more. 

Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 70 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS. Globally, 36.7 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2015.

“UC San Diego’s recognition of World AIDS Day helps to raise awareness about this devastating disease and our efforts to prevent, treat and combat it,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “We are proud to be a leader in breakthrough research, education and patient care that transforms lives and helps to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.”

In addition to activities on Dec. 1, the campus will hold events leading up to World AIDS Day such as displays on Library Walk on Tues. Nov. 29 and Wednesday Nov. 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where students can pick up red ribbons and learn about HIV and AIDS from student health advocates.

A sampling of various activities, displays and other events on Dec. 1 are listed below. Click here to view the full calendar of events.

• AIDS Memorial Quilt Display, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the Price Center East Ballroom: The AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest ongoing arts project in the world, will be displayed along with live music. The sections on display are inspired by San Diego organizations and individuals as they have responded to the AIDS crisis, from the early years of the epidemic through the present day. Adjacent to the quilt display will be poster presentations from UC San Diego’s AIDS Research Institute undergraduate and graduate student researchers.
• Continuous screening of “Compulsive Practice,” 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the Price Center East Ballroom: This hour-long, curated video is built from clips featuring the daily, habitual video practices of nine artists and activists deeply impacted by HIV/AIDS.
• “PrEP Talk” presentation, noon to 2 p.m., the Price Center John Muir College Room: Ankita Kadakia, M.D., a physician from UC San Diego’s Owen Clinic, an HIV specialty care facility, will be talking about the once-a-day pill to help prevent HIV infections.
• HIV/AIDS information and resources, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Library Walk: Along Library Walk, there will be interactive displays and activities—provided by UC San Diego’s student health advocates—that explore the history, milestones, prevalence and misconceptions of HIV/AIDS. Additionally, faculty, staff and students can receive free, anonymous HIV and STD testing from the Family Health Centers of San Diego in UC San Diego’s Town Square, parallel to Library Walk.
• Photo booth in honor of World AIDS Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Library Walk: There will be a photo booth where students, staff, faculty and community members can take pictures with props in honor of World AIDS Day.
• Living with HIV Panel, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Price Center Ballroom East: This panel will allow the voices of people living with HIV and AIDS to be heard. They will share their personal experiences and answer questions from the audience.
• Other talks for specific communities and populations impacted by HIV, various times and locations. Throughout Dec. 1 , various campus community centers will host informational presentations for wide range of communities, such as:
  • LGBT Community and HIV/AIDS, 10 a.m., the LGBT Resource Center.
  • HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, 11 a.m., Black Resource Center.
  • The Latino/a Community, 2 p.m.., the Raza Resource Centro (this session will be conducted in Spanish).
  • HIV/AIDS and Women, 3 p.m., the Women’s Center.
  • Asians/Pacific Islanders and HIV/AIDS, 4 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center.