The Condom Collective at the University of Nevada, Reno is bringing together students, advocates and community members for a Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness panel focused on harm reduction, education and access to resources.

The event, held in recognition of National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, will take place on Wednesday, April 9, from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. at The Radical Cat, 1500 S. Virginia St. The event is free and open to students and the broader Reno community.

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed each year on April 10 to highlight the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people across the United States and to encourage education, prevention and access to care.

In Reno, Mayor Hillary Schieve and the City of Reno issued a proclamation recognizing National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on April 10, underscoring the importance of awareness and prevention at the local level.

Organized by the Condom Collective, a peer-led initiative supported by Advocates for Youth, in partnership with the School of Public Health, the panel will feature a range of voices from across the community. Speakers include Melanie Flores, MSW, lecturer and student services and field studies coordinator in the School of Public Health; Patrick Peterson, a longtime HIV survivor and advocate; Jen Howell from Northern Nevada Public Health’s sexual health program; and Hannah Alquiza, a grassroots organizer with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

For Claire Lin, a student leader with the Condom Collective, the event builds on both her advocacy and her academic experience. She credits her history of AIDS course with shaping her understanding of the ongoing impact of HIV and the importance of education and access.

“Sexual health is health,” Lin said. “Events like this give people the opportunity to ask questions, learn from others and better understand how to protect themselves and their communities.

"Emily Hobson, Ph.D., associate professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Nevada, Reno, teaches GRI/HIST 493b: History of HIV/AIDS at the University. She said understanding the history of HIV and AIDS remains essential for younger generations. “The history of HIV/AIDS shows that it has been a political crisis as well as a public health problem, and advocacy remains essential to fighting the epidemic,” Hobson said. “New funding cuts to HIV/AIDS care are anticipated to produce an increase in new HIV infections for the first time in decades. Events like this provide a powerful way for young people to learn about prevention as well as the history of community-based responses to HIV/AIDS.”

The discussion will focus on harm reduction strategies, access to testing and prevention tools and the importance of meeting young people where they are. Attendees will also have access to free condoms, community resources and information about local services.

“Unfortunately, most young people do not think they are at risk for getting HIV, thinking they are not in a high-risk group, but in fact, if you are having sex, you are at-risk,” Melanie Flores, MSW, lecturer and student services and field studies coordinator in the School of Public Health. “An event like this reminds young people that HIV is still very much so a ‘thing,’ with 18.3% of new HIV infections impacting ages 13-24. Not to mention, eliminating stigma associated with HIV happens when we talk about it in forums like this and normalize HIV testing as part of your routine healthcare.” 

Flores is a Ph.D. candidate focusing on HIV health policy in the U.S. She teaches AIDS: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (CHS 422/622) at the University.

The event reflects the Condom Collective’s broader mission to expand access to sexual health resources both on campus and in the community.

A student at the Davidson Academy who also takes courses at the University of Nevada, Reno, Lin has helped grow the Condom Collective into a campus resource over the past year. She also extends her outreach beyond campus through tabling events and partnerships, including a recent collaboration with the Public Health Coalition at the University’s Club Fair.

Lin is also involved in the Emergency Contraceptive Access Network and has worked with manufacturers to help secure donated supplies. “We go through thousands of condoms each semester,” she said. “Building relationships with manufacturers helps us keep up with demand and make sure every student who wants supplies can get them.”

Alongside her campus work, Lin self-publishes Poundtownzine, a zine she uses as both a creative platform and a way to distribute contraceptives at events across the Reno community.

By bringing together voices from across the community, organizers hope the panel will encourage continued dialogue and empower students to take an active role in their health and well-being.