Rebekka Armstrong said she prides herself on being a survivor.
Besides surviving AIDS, the former Playboy Playmate has overcome two brain infections, the pain of a rupturing pancreas, a suicide attempt, and multiple side effects from prescription medication - all caused by the virus.
The side effects included severe nerve damage and intestinal damage. The suicide attempt included a drug and alcohol overdose mixed with a collision with a brick wall.
Part of her survival features educating others about preventing contraction of the disease and centered on ways to have safer sex, her reason for speaking Tuesday evening at the Student Center.
Armstrong discussed her life before and after she was diagnosed with AIDS.
In 1989, Armstrong had been experiencing extreme fatigue and was bruising easily, leading her to decide to visit her doctor for a complete physical.
"I took every test, even a pregnancy test," Armstrong said. "At the last minute I decided I would take an HIV test."
Her doctor called her a few days later to inform her that the test had come back positive. Armstrong assumed her doctor was telling her she was pregnant.
"My doctor told me she didn't think I understood what she meant," Armstrong said. "When she told me I was HIV positive, I lost it."
The realization of the disease sent Armstrong on a dangerous spiral of drug and alcohol abuse. She refers to the few years following her diagnosis as a "roller coaster."
It took a seminar of 70 women to convince Armstrong that she had more life in her.
"Some of these women were in their final stages (of the virus)," Armstrong said. "One very frail women walked in with a two or three year old child behind her and said 'I need to find a home for my baby.'"
Armstrong said that moment had a large impact on her and convinced her to take action.
"I was infected at age 16 and no one was telling be about HIV then," Armstrong said. "I wanted to go to school and educate kids."
Armstrong went public, informing Playboy that she was HIV positive. She said she received a great deal of support from the industry and Hugh Heffner.
After she told her story, Armstrong explained methods to make both intercourse and oral sex safer. This is a responsibility that everyone needs to take, Armstrong said.
"When I found out I was infected I wanted to know who did this to me," Armstrong said. "It takes two people to make the decision to have unprotected sex."
Aside from continuing her life, Armstrong said she feels she has beaten the odds in other ways.
"I was married on May 19 and I never thought that would happen to me," Armstrong said.
Her husband also has the virus, but Armstrong said her strain is more aggressive.
"We still need to use protection," Armstrong said. "There are over 170 different strains, including crazy, mutated super-viruses."
Sophomores Jonathan Lynn and Neil Arsenault said they learned something new about AIDS and HIV.
"I had no idea there were 170 different strains of the virus," Arsenault said.
Lynn found her information important.
"Even though her husband is infected," Lynn said. "I learned that it was still important to use protection."