LIFESTYLES
Women not immune from AIDS virus

STATISTICS ON AIDS reveal that: © 5.7 per cent of the 227 were infected through injection and in-

travenous drug use; 23.3 through blood and blood products (transfu-

© On the North Shore one woman was confirmed to be HIV positive sion); 55.9 per cent were infected through heterosexual activity; and the
in 1989 and one woman, who had AIDS in 1987, has since died, ac- remaining percentage was not identified.

Brian O'Connor, the medica! officer at North Shore ein B.C., out of the 17 cases of women with AIDS, seven con-

tracted the disease through heterosexual activity, six through blood
transfusions; two through intravenous drug use; one through perinatal

e In Canada, as of October, all known cases of women with AIDS isto
ore added up to 227, with 81 women alive and 139 known deaths. transmission and one unknown,

cording to Dr.
Health.

feens

at risk COUNTOOINN

From page 73

with an additional four hours
spread over Grades I] and 12.
But education is more than
relaying statistics, Rousseau says.
Many students still have what she
calls an ‘‘attitude’’ towards AIDS
that it is a disease that only THURS.
homosexuals and intravenous dru
users eet 8 NOV. 29th
Meanwhile, other students,
while knowing they are at risk
from AIDS if sexually active, do
not take precautions.
“So although the knowledge is
there, the translation into
behavior is not seen to take

lace,’” Rousseau says.
"To attach a more personal face GRAPEVINE HUGE ASSORTMENT GLUE

to the disease, people with AIDS
have made presentations to Grade

11 and 12 students and have been = aan aan . .
met with reactions ranging from 8°-12"-18 4" UP TO 18 HOT FOR CRAFTS

compassion to a homophobia, §

Rousseau says. 4g
“They may not be able to listen f =

to what the person is saying and | REG.

to hear because of fear,’’ she says. ; & UP 10.50
But if fear is preventing stu-

dents from getting the message,

the students risk facing a grim re-

iveetemern= 1 7 Decorating

Rousseau points to statistics
that say 25 per cm or Grate ‘ . |. C
students in B.C. have had sexual a ‘
intercourse at least once. By — -- CHRISTMAS e er TRIM IT ASSORTED
Grade 11, that number doubles to - {CRAFT LAC E CHRISTMAS
50 per cent. 7
Studenis often mistakenly look . ORNAMENTS * & TRI NIS

at the figures that say only three
people in B.C. in the 15 to 19- BIG ASSORTMENT By the Meter

year-old age group have AIDS, !
Rousseau says. a

In fact, that number is just the

tip of the iceberg because AIDS

can have an incubation period of

up to Il years, she says.
Students should be looking in-

stead at the next age group of 20

to 29-year-olds, where 130 people

in B.C. with AIDS were probably

infected in their teens. This is the .

third highest incidence of AIDS in |

the province. h the high : ‘ 90 CM 115 CM
The group with the highest in- :

cidence’ of AIDS is. the 30-39. : 100% COTTON AMERICAN

year-old category, with 347 cases, ff
followed by the 40 to 49-year-old
group with 248 cases. _
Moreover, in B.C. seven out of @ T 99 7 2.09

the 17 women with AIDS (out of § a
a total of 806 total cases of AIDS M ‘ Ni
provincial cases) got the disease
through heterosexual activity. REG. 3.99 M REG. 9.99 M
Worldwide, 50 per cent of women ~
infected with the AIDS virus are
infected through heterosexual ac-
tivity.
Despite these alarming statistics,
Rousseau says there is a positive
light to AIDS which she defines as
-a “chronic, treatable disease.”’
“AIDS has given us the oppor-

tunity to look at so many sensitive RICHMOND NORTHVAN BURNABY COQUITLAM LOUGHEED

tees eronce and pia 4580 #3 RD. 710 W. 14TH 7271 Gilley Ave. 2773 Barnet Hwy. 4501 North Rd.
273-9181 980-0551 430-8371 464-1918 420-5016 Woy

Women and AIDS is the theme ¥ .
for World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, SURREY DELTA LANGLEY ' HANEY ABBOTSFORD CHILLIWACK

an oh tant ulscussh am anid 10560 King George Hwy. 8066 120th St. 19950 Willowbrook fr. 22188 Lougheed Hwy. 32838 Ventura Ave. 46145 Yale Rd.
AIDS issues will be held in Van- 584-2929 590-8226 533-4805 463-0067 853-3396 792-3378

couver,