FIU nursing students throw a block party to promote AIDS/HIV prevention

Oct. 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

MIAMI — Friday, October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, and nursing students from the Florida International University (FIU) College of Nursing & Health Sciences are hosting an event to inform FIU students about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The “Paella Block Party,” which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in front of PG5 Market Station is a celebration of life through education.  There will be free food, refreshments, giveaways and music for students to enjoy.  But more importantly, FIU nursing students who have been certified as peer educators will be there to speak frankly with fellow students about HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, the impact of substance abuse that can lead to risky sexual practice, and the importance of testing, which will also be available on site during the event.

According to FIU nursing professors Dr. Sandra Gracia Jones and Professor Katherine Chadwell, co-directors of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSAH) grant supporting next Friday’s “Paella Block Party,” recent statistics on HIV/AIDS contraction in Miami and among the Hispanic community will come as a startling revelation to many.

–          The Centers for Disease Control ranks Miami as No. 1 in AIDS cases among U.S. cities. 

–          Nearly one in every five new cases of HIV is contracted by Hispanics.

–          One of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS risk groups is Hispanic women ages 18-25.

“Now more than ever, we have to reach out to Miami’s youth to help them make the right choices and take the right actions to avoid becoming another statistic,” said Jones, a recognized HIV/AIDS nurse researcher and expert who has helmed the national pilot study for the student-led educational intervention project known as SENORITAS (Student Education Needed in Order to Reduce Infection and Transmission of AIDS/HIV and STIs) at FIU since 2003.

In 2009, Dr. Jones and Professor Chadwell introduced a second student-based intervention program to reduce alcohol abuse and HIV/Hepatitis risk at Hispanic-serving institutions known as SALSAH (Student-led Activities about Latinos on Substance Abuse, AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis). Through SALSAH, FIU nursing students receive leadership and topic training to become nationally certified peer educators.

The objective of the SENORITAS and SALSAH projects was to develop age- and culturally-appropriate educational intervention measures to address these at-risk health behaviors.  Now, FIU nursing student peer educators are asked to present to incoming students about at-risk health behaviors during FIU’s Freshman Experience orientation.  “The ‘Paella Block Party’ is just one of the ways we continue to reach out to our student community to arm them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves,” added Chadwell. “We encourage all FIU students to join us not just for the good food and good music, but for the information that will do them good and may even help save their lives.”

WHAT: Paella Block Party
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE:  PG5 Market Station (across from the new AHC3 Nursing & Health Sciences Building)
WHY: National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
WHO:  All FIU students

 For more information on HIV/AIDS and the Hispanic community, visit www.nlaad.org.