While watching the Emmy Awards on television two weeks ago, Geri Summers didn’t see many red ribbons on the stars’ lapels.

“I don’t think I saw a single one,” she said.

That’s troubling, she said, because it’s a sign that HIV and AIDS aren’t the hot topics they once were.

“Think about it,” said Summers, executive director at the Douglas County AIDS Project. “It wasn’t too long ago that they all had red ribbons on. Now, hardly any of them do.”

And when, she asked, was the last time you heard a TV character even mention safe sex?

“I see all these comedy shows dealing with sex, but I don’t hear anyone say, ‘Hold on, let me get my condoms,'” Summers said.

So it’s not surprising, she said, that in August the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 2.2 percent increase in the number of new AIDS/HIV cases reported in the United States last year — the first increase in 10 years.

Kansas, Douglas County

Among gay and bisexual men, new AIDS/HIV diagnoses increased 7.1 percent.

In the United States, 500,000 adults and children are known to be HIV/AIDS-positive. Of these, about 1,000 live in Kansas, 50 in Douglas County.

¢ Parents ease grief by sharing story¢Centers for Disease Control Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention¢Douglas County AIDS Project

“Kansas is a low-incidence state — those aren’t staggering numbers,” Summers said. “But what is staggering is that in 2001 all reported HIV-tested-positives in Kansas converted to an AIDS diagnosis within a year. That means people are staying away from getting tested until they start exhibiting some of the physical symptoms, and that means — if they’ve been having unprotected sex that whole time — all of their partners are now at risk.”

Because October is national AIDS Awareness Month, Summers is launching a modest campaign aimed at getting people to at least talk about the disease.

“I would love for people to see an article in the Journal-World and then talk about it at work or at home,” she said.

Testing encouraged

Summers also encouraged early HIV testing.

“A trend that we’re seeing is that a lot of people — more than you’d expect — are getting tested for HIV and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases),” Summer said. “But they’re being tested because they’re showing signs of chlamydia or gonorrhea; not because they think they’re HIV-positive.

“I’d like to get the message out that if you’ve had, say, three sexual partners in the past month and you’re not using a condom, then you should be tested,” she said. “Don’t wait for the (HIV positive) symptoms; they may not show up for years.”

At the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, Barbara Schnitker said the department conducted between 40 and 60 STD/HIV tests each month.

“It’s a pretty stable amount,” said Schnitker, director of nursing.

“We’ve made it so testing is available on a walk-in basis,” she said. “You can just walk in and ask to see a nurse. You don’t have say why you’re there, and you don’t have to give your name.”

Though no one is turned away because of inability to pay, the health department charges $16 for the test.

Douglas County AIDS Project will have a “Free Testing Day” from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the United Way offices, 2518 Ridge Court.

Heterosexual risk

Patrick Ross, president of the Queers & Allies group at Kansas University, said he, too, was worried students were becoming complacent about safe sex.

“The message is definitely out there,” he said. “Everybody knows. But that’s the danger; the more you hear about safe sex, the more you get tired of hearing about it. That’s not to say there’s something wrong with the message; it’s just one of those catch-22s you run into.”

Ross, who is gay, said he suspected the city’s heterosexual community was more complacent than its homosexual counterpart.

“I don’t think straight society has heard about it as much as we have,” he said.

AIDS Project

Douglas County AIDS Project’s clientele includes about 75 people, Summers said.

“We know that’s not everybody,” she said. “There are HIV-positive people out there who have jobs, have families and play sports — the whole nine yards. They don’t need us yet, and that’s a good thing.”

The agency’s $250,000 budget is underwritten by United Way contributions, private donations, and state and federal funds.

Besides a long list of support services, Douglas County AIDS Project offers several educational programs and a speakers bureau that features people who are HIV-positive.

“We’re doing everything we can to build a community that’s both caring and informed about AIDS and HIV,” Summer said.