AIDS/HIV Alliance sponsors free testing

Tomie Lunsford
as published in the Daily News
June 25, 2005

Galveston County is No. 5 on the list of HIV/AIDS cases in Texas.

“It’s an epidemic,” said Eugenia James, HIV/EBI health program specialist for Galveston County. “You may not realize how much at risk the county is,” James said. “I’ve seen several cases where people in one-partner sexual relationships come into contact with HIV — that is that partner who had multiple partners brought HIV into the relationship.”

Education, awareness and prevention are the only effective tools against HIV and AIDS, said James and several other county health officials.

In that line of thinking, the Galveston HIV/AIDS Alliance is sponsoring free HIV testing at several places on Monday, National AIDS Awareness Day.

The alliance consists of the University of Texas Medical Branch, St. Vincent’s House, the Galveston County Health Department, Planned Parenthood, the AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas and The Jesse Tree Foundation.

People interested in taking advantage of this opportunity do not need to bring anything. “You just need to be willing to be tested and participate in a pre-test counseling session that explains the virus and occurrence statistics,” said Tommy McNiel, co-coordinator of the free HIV testing day.  The tests last about half an hour and aren’t painful, organizers said.

McNiel has lived 20 years with the virus in his system. He says he works with AIDS awareness programs because he feels he contributes a lot to the cause. “There’s so many misconceptions out there,” he said. “We just have to get out in the open and talk about it.”

What: Free HIV testing on National AIDS Awareness Day.

When: Monday.

Where: Several locations in Galveston County.

Call: Eugenia James at the Galveston County Health Department,
(409) 789-7406.

On The Web: www.hivtest.org

Locations Offering Free HIV Testing

•  Holy Rosary Church
  1420 31st St., Galveston
  10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  
•  Sandpiper Cove
   3916 Winnie, Galveston
  10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  
• University of Texas-Medical Branch
  White Hallway of John Sealy Tower
  301 University Blvd., Galveston
  10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  
• 4C’s Clinic
  2100 Texas Ave., Texas City
  9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  
• 4C’s Clinic
  4700 Broadway, Galveston
  9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Galveston 4C’s Clinic will offer free HIV testing during these hours until Friday.

For More Information Contact:
Brian Rutherford
Public Health Planner
Galveston County Health District
(409) 938-2275
brutherford@gchd.org