by Mike Lortz
June 23, 2003
Above: Bend Cares employee, Cornelius Brownlee, works diligently to educate people on HIV prevention. Photo by: Mike Lortz
For over 20 years, AIDS has gripped the American consciousness. Thousands of Americans have fallen victim to AIDS and the virus that causes it, HIV. Many have died.
In an attempt to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started National HIV Testing Day in 1994. This year, National HIV Testing Day is Friday, June 27.
The mission of National HIV Testing Day is to increase people's awareness of the virus, discourage behavior that may increase risk and allow people the opportunity to be tested. According to the National HIV Testing Day Web site (www.nhtd.org) the campaign helps millions of people who may be at risk by encouraging them to "take the test, take control."
"It is an effort to really focus efforts on testing around the country so that people who are HIV positive that didn't know their status would be able to find out," said Lorraine Elder, Executive Director of Big Bend Cares. "That way more people would be able to know they were HIV positive, which would hopefully stop people from becoming infected by people who did not know they were infected."
According to its Web site (www.bigbendcares.org), Big Bend Cares is a local non-profit organization that provides education and support to people infected with or affected by HIV or AIDS.
Big Bend Cares is one of many organizations working to ensure the success of National HIV Testing Day. Other groups include Investing In Our Youth, Shisa, the Florida Department of Health and health departments from Gadsden, Franklin, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and Leon counties. Together, these organizations, and many others, have formed the Red Ribbon Alliance.
HIV testing is a relatively quick procedure. According to Elder, Big Bend Cares, like many other non-profit organizations, uses a technique called "Orasure." Orasure is the swabbing of a patient's mouth. The swab is then examined for symptoms of HIV, such as antibodies.
"There is not enough virus in the saliva to report," Elder said. "If they find antibodies, then they will make the person come in for a confirmatory blood test. The blood test is where you can actually see if there is HIV in the bloodstream."
Because of the personal nature of HIV, all testing done by Big Bend Cares is strictly confidential. Confidentiality is ensured from the initial appointment (where only a time is recorded and no name is given) to the testing procedure (the tested person is alone in the room with the tester). According to Elder, Big Bend Cares' flexible testing availability and locations also help alleviate any possible testing embarrassment.
"We can go to your house to do testing," Elder said. "We can do testing in the car. We will do whatever we can."
HIV test results, according to Elder, are usually available within two to three weeks.
It is adventagous for those who test HIV positive to enroll with Big Bend Cares. The organization offers medical, dental and mental services, a food program and transportation for its clients.
Big Bend Cares even helps those who are HIV negative.
"We provide outreach services to local bars during non-traditional work hours," Big Bend employee Cornelious Brownlee said. "We pass out condoms and information on HIV. We encourage people to be tested and test them if possible."
For Brownlee, working to help prevent the spread of HIV is something he feels he has to do.
"A close member of my family contracted the disease and ever since then it opened my road to HIV," Brownlee said.
Unfortunately, with all the testing that has been done and the preventive measures that have been employed, there is no way to determine how many people may be HIV positive.
"They try to do estimates but its not terribly accurate," Elder said. "We hear all the time that they believe that there are anywhere from 800 to 1,200 people that live in the area we serve who are HIV positive or have AIDS. Of those, how many don't know their status? Probably 25 percent at least, if not more."
Even though NBA legend Magic Johnson and many others worldwide are leading healthy, prosperous lives since being diagnosed as HIV positive, this is usually the exception rather than the rule.
"You can't generalize HIV from one person to the next," Elder said. "Seeing a guy like (Johnson) doing OK makes everyone think this is manageable, that this is a chronic illness. That taking the meds will take care of everything. They are very, very toxic. This is not a disease you want."
Elder hopes National HIV Testing Day makes people more knowledgeable and helps remove the stigma of embarrassment people currently have toward the disease.
"I wish people wouldn't judge others," Elder said. "And I wish there weren't the stigmas where people are afraid to come here. People are afraid to tell their families they have HIV."
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