North Carolina is the unhappy home to the nation’s first-ever outbreak of HIV among college students, according to research presented Feb. 10 before the 11th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco.

The outbreak was detected early owing to a new test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), using a technique called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that can detect the virus’ presence several weeks earlier than the standard HIV antibody test.

The team that discovered the outbreak was led by infectious disease specialist Dr. Lisa B. Hightow of the University of North Carolina. From Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 31, 2003, Hightow’s team discovered 84 HIV cases in male college students in N.C. ages 18 to 30. The students attended 37 colleges, all but four in North Carolina.

While researchers track down and try to stem the outbreak, N.C. colleges and universities are trying various ways to encourage students to engage in sexual liaisons more responsibly. For example, the web site for Student Health Services at N.C. State University, for example, tells students that “Being sexually active has risks, such as contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and/or becoming pregnant. The only sure way to avoid an infection or pregnancy is abstinence. However, if you choose to be sexually active, correct use of a condom will help reduce yours and your partner’s risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.” Elsewhere it cautions, “Limit the number of partners you have. The more partners you have the greater your risk for contracting an STD.”

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Center for Healthy Student Behaviors declared Feb. 9-13 “Sexual Responsibility Week” to “promote positive sexuality, including improving communication between partners, having higher self esteem and confidence in sexual relationships, mutual satisfaction and more.” This included giving “information on ‘How To Be a Better Lover,’” asking students “Are you positive you are negative for HIV?,” “[c]ounseling about sexuality issues and testing for HIV,” and offering “[f]ree safer sex kits.”

UNC-Greensboro’s Wellness Center also counsels, “The best type of protection is not engaging in vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse” and barring that, always using a condom, knowing the signs of sexually transmitted diseases, testing regularly, avoiding intoxicants, and limiting sexual partners.

Also, according to the Feb. 12 issue of UCG’s Carolinian, “Tristan Taormino, author of ‘The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex For Women’ and star/director of several pornographic films, spoke in the Elliott University Center Auditorium Wednesday night.”

Jon Sanders is assistant editor of Carolina Journal.