World AIDS Day has local meaning

World AIDS Day, is a day to assess the threat that AIDS poses not just worldwide, but also locally. More than 100 people in Douglas County suffer from the HIV virus, which causes AIDS.

Gerry Summers, executive director of the Douglas County AIDS Project, said those in the University community should be better aware of AIDS.

"Most people infected by AIDS are between the ages of 15 and 25. And that's largely the university population," she said. "So it's really important to know your risk, to know what it is to be safe and to get tested. Know what your status is. Early detection means saving your life."

According to the Global Health Council, by 2010, the number of deaths attributable to AIDS will rival that of the bubonic plague, which has killed 93 million people. In recent years, scientists have become increasingly more optimistic as vaccines and antiretroviral drugs have been developed to fight AIDS, making it possible for people with the disease to live much longer than before.