World AIDS Day will be commemorated Monday to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

Wayne Merkley, professor of biology at Drake University, will speak on campus about the impact AIDS has on society, emphasizing how the disease affects college-age adults. Merkley currently teaches a class on AIDS at Drake University.

The speech, “AIDS: Where are we now? What’s in the future?” will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Room 244 of the Memorial Union.

In 1990, Merkley and 140 other professionals were invited to help the Chinese Medical Association handle the AIDS situation in China.

After one of his former students was diagnosed with HIV and later died at age 35, Merkley wanted to spread a message to students — AIDS can affect anyone.

“I believe it was on the campus in the ’90s and it’s here now,” he said. “Students in central Iowa are exposed to the disease.”

The Student Health Advisory Committee will also be holding a balloon release at noon Monday on the south lawn of Parks Library.

“Each of the 500 red balloons released will represent 10,000 people who contracted HIV last year and 40,000 people who have died from the disease worldwide,” said Elizabeth Danilson, senior in community health education and co-president of the Student Health Advisory Committee.

The Student Health Advisory Committee will be sponsoring a booth at the union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. There will be free condoms, free red ribbons, raffle prizes and an opportunity to write to President Bush.

“We will be offering pre-written letters opposing abstinence-only sex education and supporting comprehensive sex education,” Danilson said.

She said talking about the disease is the first step in preventing it.

“The federal government spends millions of dollars every year on abstinence-only sex education programs that teach ignorance to young people by withholding information about condoms and birth control,” Danilson said.

“Sexuality is a very natural, normal, healthy part of life and we should all be comfortable talking about all aspects, whether it is condoms, birth control, AIDS or gender identity.”