Testing It Up

A study released recently by the Department of Health of the District of Columbia revealed that the HIV infection rate for heterosexual African-American women in the poorest neighborhoods in D.C. have almost doubled in two years.

The HIV infection rate for these women have increased to 12.1 percent from 6.3 percent, a rise that officials are attributing to a wider testing of people who were previously unaware of their HIV status.

The release of the results of the study was accompanied by new recommendations for doctors as well as other health-care providers to immediately start treatment for people who have been newly-diagnosed with HIV, as opposed to waiting for evidence of severe damage to the immune system.

The Health Department also released the annual update on HIV/AIDS, which indicated a drop in the total number of new AIDS cases over the past four years, as well as improvements in getting infected people into care quickly. The latter was cited by Mayor Vincent C. Gray as among the city’s many achievements.

While the at-risk populations in other cities are concentrated among intravenous drug users as well as sexually active gay men, Washington was found to have a “mixed epidemic,” with a “huge burden” falling on heterosexual African Americans; according to officials, 90 percent of all women with HIV are black.

Michael Rhein, senior vice president at the Institute for Public Health Innovation, a nonprofit group that coordinates several regional programs supporting people with HIV/AIDS, shared: “While recognizing the limitations of a sample-based study, it seems the HIV epidemic among heterosexuals may be more significant than the previous study estimated.”

The results of a study conducted by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had both good and bad news, in terms of HIV.

Based on the analysis of data from a 2009 survey of 10,000 people from 20 urban areas, HIV infections among those who use drugs intravenously have decreased by half in the past decade. However, it also indicated that HIV testing is on a decline, while such risky behaviors as sharing needles continue to persist.

The survey indicated further that 9 percent of intravenous drug users were infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.

Dr. Cyprian Wejnert, an epidemiologist at the CDC, shared: “Despite the fact that we’ve seen declines in new HIV infections, a substantial number of IDUs (injection drug users) in major US cities are HIV-infected and their risk behavior remains fairly high… We found 9 percent of IDUs were HIV-positive and nearly half of those were unaware of their infection.”

The survey included testing individuals for HIV, and asking them questions about risk behaviors and their use of HIV prevention services. It was determined that about a third of the survey respondents admitted to sharing syringes. In addition, most of them admitted to engaging in unprotected sex over the past year, and more than half said that they had more than one sexual partner.

Wejnert shared further: “While CDC recommends that individuals are tested for HIV at least annually, only 49 percent … reported being tested in the last 12 months.”

Tomorrow has been declared as National HIV Testing Day, and activities that involve free testing for HIV are being organized across the country. In some places, free HIV testing has already begun. In Asheville, North Carolina, the following testing sites have been identified:

Western North Carolina Community Health Services
10 Ridgelawn Rd., Asheville, 28806
Phone 285-0622

Minnie Jones Family Health Center (details)
264 Haywood Rd., Asheville, 28806
Phone 285-0622

Buncombe County Health Center
35 Woodfin St., Asheville, 28801
Phone 250-5000

Planned Parenthood Health Systems Incorporated
603 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 28801
Phone 252-7928 or 800-230-7256

Similar activities are also being planned for other cities. At some of these events, rapid HIV tests, which will have the ability to provide results within half an hour, will be available.

For North Carolina residents who do not live in an area or a town where a free testing event has been organized or will be unable to attend an event, there are free HIV tests as well as syphilis tests that can be taken through local health departments or community-based organizations across the state.

Those who are concerned with their privacy may take home HIV tests. If you prefer this option, you need to make sure you get kits that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and deal only with reputable suppliers. These tests are accurate and easy to use as they come with easy-to-follow instruction booklets. The kits also come with an access code that would serve as your identity and ensure complete anonymity.