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Why People Probably Won't Get Tested on National HIV Testing DayBy Candace Y.A. Montague June 27, 2011
Today is National HIV Testing Day. It is a day set aside for AIDS Service Organizations to push the public to get tested for HIV. Release the stigma and get tested for a change. A campaign such as this one has a suitable amount of hype set around it. But hype eventually fades and reality will assuredly set back in. According to the CDC, only 39.5 percent of Americans over the age of 18 have ever been tested for HIV in their lives. That's a low number for a huge epidemic. The latest epidemiology report shows that DC has had a remarkable increase in the number of people tested from 42,000 in 2006 to 110,000 in 2010. However, getting people tested is no walk or festival in the park. There are four possible reasons why the number of people tested today alone will not hit record highs (although that is certainly the goal). 1. It is hard to face past transgressions. HIV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Now if everyone only had sex with their spouse or significant other in a faithful relationship there would be little need to worry. However, the truth is that people have all kinds of sex. People lie and cheat on each other in relationships. And they do it sometimes without using protection. Having an HIV test brings back the memories (and excessive shame) of all the encounters that left doubt in someone's mind. Do not let the past interfere with making sound decisions about your sexual health. Let go of the shame and get tested. 3. What about my sex life? Ok. This one is not so easy. The stigma attached to this disease has people so locked up in fear that they cannot (really ... just cannot) share their status with their potential lover. There is so much misinformation out there regarding HIV that it's hard to find people who truly understand how the disease works and how it is transmitted. The best that anyone can do if they find out that they must live with an HIV positive diagnosis is to be honest right from the start. They must be patient and make sure that the person they choose to be intimate with is mature and educated enough to handle their status. Stand up to stigma and get tested. 4. I'm gonna be sick all the time and have to take medications forever. Not all HIV is the same. Some people do become very ill when diagnosed and struggle to recover. But keep in mind that they may have been diagnosed late and did not have the benefit of antiretroviral therapy to help them get along better. Care and treatment in DC has never been better. People are put into care at a much swifter pace when diagnosed and there is no waiting list for AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) if someone needs medications. The earlier the virus is caught, the better. Avoid jumping to conclusions and get tested. Heard enough? Good. Now here are some places you can go around town to get tested for HIV today.
Get over yourself and those lousy excuses. Get tested. Get e-mail notifications every time Candace's blog is updated.
Comment by: Brad O
(Washington, DC)
Mon., Jun. 27, 2011 at 3:13 pm EDT There's a big "AND" to why people don't get tested. Unless someone lives in an urban area, testing is neither free nor easy. The MD alternative costs between $90-250. In public health departments in some areas, people are turned away if they do not qualify as "high-risk", a process determined by intrusive questionnaires. Even in urban areas, the testing system has major flaws in how pre-test questions are asked, and in accessibility - esp. for those who work in the city but live in suburbs. So, while I agree that people need to get over themselves, I also think "AIDS, Inc." needs to get over itself so that truly all people can get tested. We have to stop with the double-standard of telling all people to get tested but them limiting their options and access and adding unnecessary costs.
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D.C. HIV/AIDS Examiner  Candace Y.A. Montague Candace Y.A. Montague has been learning about HIV since 1988 (and she has the certificates from the American Red Cross to prove it). Health is a high priority to Candace because she believes that nothing can come of your life if you're not healthy enough to enjoy it. One of her two master's degrees is in Community Health Promotion and Education. Candace was inspired to act against HIV after seeing a documentary in 2008 about African-American women and HIV. She knew that writing was the best way for her to make a difference and help inform others. Candace is a native Washingtonian and covers HIV news all around D.C. She has covered fundraisers, motorcycle rides, town hall meetings, house balls, Capitol Hill press conferences, election campaigns and protests for The DC Examiner.com and emPower News Magazine. Subscribe to Candace's Blog:
Recent Posts:
April 5, 2013 - The Sexual Health Lessons of Tyler Perry's Tempation: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague
March 25, 2013 - Candace's AIDS News Update: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague March 11, 2013 - Three Condoms Rule No More: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague March 5, 2013 - HIV Prevention Strategies for Women Proven Ineffective: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague February 8, 2013 - Black HIV/AIDS Awareness: Eight Points to Keep in Mind A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
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