Month 5 of Giving Back Campaign: National HIV Testing Day

It has been 31 years since the initial description in a Center for Disease Control (CDC) report on what we now know as HIV/AIDS. As recently as 2009, the CDC has indicated that the southern region of the U.S. has the highest new infection rate, North Carolina tops the list. What’s more is that women account for 30% of the new HIV infections, with more than 80% of them being black or hispanic.

Cindy and Mike with staff of the Alliance of AIDS Services

Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolinas (AAS-C) has been providing free HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and support services across the Triangle for 12 years. The organization has expanded its public service to include testing and treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases. Since January 2012, the Raleigh office of AAS-C testing site has identified 13 new HIV infections, 20 cases of gonorrhea and 38 incidents of chlamydia.

In addition to testing at their offices, AAS-C has an on-going community program of making free testing available wherever people are — churches, public festivals, as well as teen and young-adult gatherings. In 2011, outreach efforts beyond the test sites reached 1,375 people.

To offset the cost associated with free testing, the Articulon team offered a cash donation, visited the administrative and testing staff to learn about the programs, and toured the headquarters in Ralegh.

Did you know the cost of a single test kit starts around 50 bucks? And, testing is only a portion of the services provided by AAS-C. They also assist individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families with food, clothing, stable housing, counseling and the identification of available medical and financial resources. This is a great service to our community.