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Keystone Health Center to offer free HIV tests By EMILY PHELPS
June 27 is national HIV testing day, a chance for people to learn whether they're infected with the disease so treatment can start. A number of prescription drugs have helped people with HIV prolong their lives. "It's no longer a death sentence," said Vanessa McDowell, community outreach coordinator at Keystone. "It's a manageable chronic disease." McDowell has seen pregnant women with HIV successfully keep from passing the disease onto their children. If a woman can get medication for HIV, it can help the baby's immune system fight the virus responsible for the diseases. People should be tested if they've had unprotected sex, or have injected illegal drugs. Other actions, such as receiving blood transfusions at a certain point in time, can also put people at risk. "For every one person we've identified, there may be two or three people who don't know they're positive," McDowell said. Workers will take a swab from inside a person's mouth, so there is no blood or injections, said Vanessa McDowell, community outreach coordinator with Keystone. In addition to McDowell and a case worker, there will be a translator for people who speak only Spanish. People from this area will be there to talk about living with HIV. After being at the park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the group plans to move to John Wesley AME Zion Church, 155 W. Catherine St., where they will do HIV testing from 6 to about 8 p.m. Van R. Scott has been pastor of Wesley since November. His wife, Ruth Scott, is a registered nurse who has worked for several years with HIV and AIDS prevention in Harrisburg. Both Scotts are certified by the American Red Cross for HIV and AIDS counseling. Since November, the Scotts have held seminars at the church to help people learn about the diseases. Keystone has worked with them on the seminars. "In our lifetime, we'll all be infected or affected either way," Ruth Scott said. Nationally, people of color are disproportionately infected with HIV and AIDS. Those numbers aren't reflected here. Approximately 100 Keystone patients in Franklin and Fulton counties have HIV or AIDS. None of those infected are children. Of that group, about 20% are African-American, McDowell said. Of the entire group, 28 people have AIDS. McDowell's statistics only reflect Keystone's patients. There may be others who see different local doctors. Medical workers are only required to report a case of AIDS to the state, not a case of HIV. Though McDowell hopes to reach into the African-American community at John Wesley, tests are available to the entire public for free. A person doesn't have to be a Keystone Health Center patient. People can pick up the test results from Keystone three days later, McDowell said. Federal funding allows Keystone to offer free HIV tests to anyone who wants them, without an appointment, McDowell said.
Emily Phelps can be reached at 262-4754 and ephelps@chambers.gannett.com. |
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