Recent reports show Baton Rouge to have some of the highest AIDS rates in the country — a problem some groups are trying to raise awareness about.
Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge now offers free HIV testing every Thursday at the Women’s Center from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. until the end of summer session A on July 26.
There is no appointment necessary, and each test takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Family Services has sponsored the testing since March as a part of their HIV prevention initiative.
Molly Phillips, an HIV prevention coordinator for Family Services, said they probably will continue the service in the fall, but it will depend on additional funding from the state.
Phillips said when they first began they were well received and tested about eight to ten people each week.
“We have fallen down to about three or four, but hopefully we will pick up this summer,” Phillips said.
Amber Vlasnik, manager of the Women’s Center said it is a good place for the testing because there are some direct links between women and HIV/AIDS.
“Women are a rising group [of people with HIV/AIDS],” Vlasnik said. “Especially African-Americans.”
Tanya Brown, a field epidemiologist at the Louisiana Office of Public Health, produced a report that placed Baton Rouge second on the list of ten metropolitan areas in the country with the highest AIDS case rates.
The survey showed Baton Rouge tied with Miami, in that 47 out of every 100,000 people tested positive with HIV in 2002.
Brown also reported that 90 percent of newly diagnosed cases in Baton Rouge are black men.
As a result, Phillips said, an increasing number of black women are becoming infected.
But Phillips also said it is important to recognize more people are being tested and getting information, which could be why they are seeing higher numbers.
Family Services decided to come to the University after Amy Cavender, a University wellness education coordinator, contacted Phillips about HIV/AIDS referral information for students.
Amber Vlasnik, manager of the Women’s Center, said Family Services was looking for a testing site, and the Women’s Center volunteered, offering space and some advertisement.
The Student Health Center also provides HIV testing, but there is an additional fee.
Cavender also said because all the staff does is HIV testing, they are experienced and familiar with the procedure.
“The more opportunities for testing, the better,” Cavender said. “We want people to be comfortable and healthy.”
Before the test, students receive pre-counciling and HIV education. After about two weeks, students come back to the Women’s Center to get and discuss their results.