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Fair offers free HIV, hepatitis tests
An official says apathy has taken root regarding AIDS.
By CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer
Published November 28, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - To commemorate the 19th annual World AIDS Day, city and county officials will offer free HIV and hepatitis testing at a health fair at Williams Park on Friday. General health screenings and flu shots also will be available. The fair runs noon to 4 p.m. at the park, Second Avenue N and Third Street N. On Tuesday, the St. Petersburg Times interviewed Lisa Cohen, operations manager for the division of disease control and HIV/AIDS coordinator for Pinellas County, about the importance of AIDS awareness. Is this an annual event in St. Petersburg? Yes, we have had it every year probably for the past eight years. It is an observance where people can get together to share information and demonstrate the importance of the fight against AIDS. Why is it still important to spread awareness about AIDS now, two decades after the virus became mainstream? There is so much apathy right now in our community, and people aren't really concerned about HIV as they have been in the past. We are finding a lot of people living with this virus much longer, so people aren't advocating as much as we need to. People don't realize there are 40,000 new cases of HIV reported in the country each year. So we can't let our guard down. We have to continue to educate. What does the HIV test involve? We don't have to draw blood from someone. They can take a sample from their mouth with a swab of cotton. We can have the results within three weeks after they get screened. What would you say to someone who doesn't want to get tested because they don't want to know the results? HIV can be treated, so it is better to know your status and get treated early. It's how we can prevent it from being passed on. We are really trying to educate and inform people about diseases that can affect them in our community.
[Last modified November 27, 2007, 21:15:00]
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