over The EDGE page2

AIDS: Everyone's Problem

Now!

During the Summer of 1995,
a group of international par-
ticipants received grants
from approximately twenty
different sources to travel
Nairobi to do key research
sexually transmitted dis-
eases. Among the research-
ers was UNBC’s own David
Fish; Dean of Health and
Human Sciences. Dean Fish

graduated from the Univer-

sity of Manitoba, with de-
grees in Sociology and Epi-
demiology. As well, he has
as a thirty year background
in various schools of medi-
cine. In 1986, David started
doing AIDS Research, some-
thing that has since become
his main field of study.

- Fish and co-workers ran a
morning clinic in the
Pumwani Hospital. Daily

routine consisted of tending
to the needs of different pa-
tients and gathering informa-
tion to help their studies.
David was not working on
the Biological effects of
sexually transmitted dis-
eases. Instead, he focused on
the social and economic im-
pact of Aid diagnosed at
birth. Fish and co-workers
were the first to prove a child
could be infected with the
HIV virus through breast
feeding, which is now rais-
ing difficult ethical questions

as people try to work around:

this issue.

by C. Shafer

Heterosexual.”

When asked about the user
of condoms, Fish explained;
while using contraceptives
may be our way of trying to
prevent sexually transmitted
diseases, in Nairobi the
people believe differently.
David and others are trying
to teach women to take con-
trol of their lives and to be
more independent. Fish says
“the hardest thing to do is to
tell a mother she is HIV posi-
tive after giving birth to her
child.” This is especially dif-
ficult considering that most
infected children tend to die
before the age of two. Only
a precious few show no signs
of advancement in the virus.
The results of David’s re-
search is currently being
shared among local commu-
nities and researchers, while
the information gleaned
through such studies is used
as examples of what could
happen here in Canada. We
can no longer deny that our
society has moved into an
era of heterosexual transfer-
ence of AIDS.

David Fish will be continu-
ing active research on sexu-
ally transmitted diseases in
Nairobi again net summer.

Wednesday, Oct 25, 1995

Every cat needs a nap every now and then: "There's no place like my

loving home!"

TAIXE IN 4 FRIEND |

N NECDU! DC 4

FIANEND INDEED.

by Scott Bishop

Sorry for the corny title,
but truth be told a lot of new
students to this town are feel-
ing isolated and lonely. A
good way to alleviate that
might be to check out some
of our furry friends looking
for a home. Every week there
is a new group of unfortu-
nates left off at the S.P.C.A.
at 1777 Munroe St. ( hang a

right, first right after the
lights, at the bottom of the hill
leaving school).

If your landlord will permit
it, and you can afford $30.00
a month for food and litter, a
kitten moving in with you
could be just the thing you
both need. Even if your plan-
ning to leave town after you
finish school, a kitty-cat car-
rier is only about 15 bucks, so

you can take your little buddy
with you when you go.

Few things in life are more
rewarding than saving a life,
and helping a stray or an un-
wanted member of a litter
can give you a sense of well-
being far beyond the pale of
most of the normal everyday
things in life, as well as some-
one to hog the t.v. converter
on.

een EL © OVER THE EDGE

Aids virus in Africa are. .

nostly women andaithet: We need your comments, sugestion, and ar-

David feels the govermen CUCles. PLEASE! HELP US! We are having a

of Canada spends so much = ’

money on the research and JOE Of trouble filling empty spaces. It's your
paper. Speak and you shall be heard.

the prevention of AIDS. Yet
when it comes to AIDS and
AIDS related cases Canada
cannot even begin to com-
pare themselves with Kenya.
Fish says “Those infected
with the Aids virus in Africa.
are mostly women and all