The Student Global AIDS Campaign is lobbying administrators to bring HIV testing to the Health Center, a service the students say is necessary on a college campus.According to a study conducted by the Brandeis chapter of SGAC, out of 17 Massachusetts schools including Bentley College, Tufts University and Harvard University, only Brandeis and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst do not offer testing.

In an effort to raise awareness about this issue, counselors from Project Umbrella, a local non-profit group run by the Boston Medical Center, will be in Usdan's Gluck Lobby from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday to administer free HIV tests.

Co-leader of the Brandeis SGAC chapter Iyah Romm '07 said the counselors will give students their results in-person, confidentially and within about two weeks after the test.

"There's a need for HIV testing everywhere and especially on a college campus where people are going to be having sex or using intravenous drugs," said Josh Ritz '06. a former coordinator for Student Sexuality Information Service.

If students know they are HIV positive, Ritz said, they can take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, but "if we're not testing for HIV. they're not going to take those steps."

Health Center Administrator Kathleen Maloney, APRN, BC, said the center's current policy is to refer students who request testing to Massachusetts General Hospital.

"We're not trying to do anything that's a disservice," Maloney said. "MGH provides the best service to students."

However, Romm and Ritz said going to MGH is not ideal because of transportation and scheduling conflicts, as well as a higher comfort level for students tested on campus.

Maloney said she could not respond to the concerns because she has never been to MGH and is not familiar with its testing environment.

But after hearing about the schools that do provide testing on campus, Maloney said it's "probably time" for Brandeis to offer it as well. She said the Health Center is capable of conducting the tests, as staff routinely take blood samples and oral swabs.

Maloney said she is meeting with colleagues at other campuses to determine the best way to provide HIV testing.

There are still questions unanswered, Maloney said, such as how the Health Center would care for a student who tested positive and how it would locate an appropriate infectious disease specialist and provide counseling.

Romm said University President Jehuda Reinharz asked him to write a formal plan for routine HIV testing on campus.

Though the American College Health Association reported in 2001 that one in 500 college students is infected with HIV, Maloney said this statistic is not necessarily representative of the Brandeis population.

Maloney, whose 36 years working for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center included caring for HIV patients, said she is "very sensitive" to the fact that HIV testing can affect anyone.

"I was there the day the first HIV patient walked through the door. I was there when hundreds of my patients were dying every week," she said. "It can happen to everyone. However, there are certain populations where you find it more."

Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett offered this perspective: "[HIV is] a virus that doesn't discriminate because you're Jewish, pre-med or from an upper-middle class background."

Bennett added that she is not convinced students would be more comfortable getting tested at Brandeis than at MGH.

"Would you like to be HIV-tested by the same nurse who you saw for strep throat the week before?" she asked.

Romm said he feels confident that permanent HIV testing will be available soon. He said SGAC has met with many administrators who have "slowly come around."

When asked about student response, Romm pointed to the popularity of the facebook.com group called "I support AIDS testing on campus." As of Monday morning, the group had 266 members.

Thomas Ahn '09, a member of the facebook group, said he cares about the issue because "a lot of my friends" want to practice safe sex for themselves and their partners.

Maloney mentioned a SGAC survey that showed 500 Brandeis students want HIV testing and said, "It feels a little like we're putting the cart before the horse here, if we're all psyched about testing," she said. "Well, wait a minute. These people are having risky behavior. What's that about?