AIDS Awareness Stamp on Sale Today

A special stamp bearing a symbolic red ribbon for AIDS awareness goes on sale today, World AIDS Day.

To commemorate the first-day issue of the 29-cent stamp, officials are holding a 9 a.m. dedication ceremony at the Kaiser Permanente Health Pavilion, 200 N. Lewis St. in Orange. The event is open to the public and continues until 4 p.m.

Kaiser Permanente, the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the U.S. Postal Service are hosts to the event, which features stamps and commemorative envelopes for sale and first-day-issue cancellation of the new stamps. T-shirts, pins and mugs depicting the stamp will be be sold, with proceeds going to the Red Cross division for HIV/AIDS education.

Throughout the day, health professionals will answer questions about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and will provide education materials, including safe-sex kits.

“We’ve been noticing the last year or so that HIV and AIDS seem to have (been) relegated to lesser significance in the scheme of health issues,” said Susan Sullivan, senior public health nurse and AIDS coordinator for the county Red Cross chapter. “Continuing to keep a focus that this is a preventable disease is a major emphasis for those of us working on AIDS education.”

AIDS educators said they see the stamp as a way to remind the public that the disease has become an epidemic in this country as well as the world.

“It’s a pandemic problem,” Sullivan said. “Having a stamp draws attention from groups of people who would not ordinarily consider HIV and AIDS to be a prominent issue.”

The Postal Service is issuing 25 million booklets, which include 10 stamps each. AIDS hot-line and referral numbers are listed on the booklets. The post office has previously issued stamps to heighten awareness of other health issues, including hunger, polio, cancer and alcoholism, said Christine Dugas, a Postal Service spokeswoman.

“This is really the only health problem for this generation that is only going to be stopped by education and awareness.” said Bill Peterson, an HIV educator for Kaiser Permanente.