Kathy Nigro, left, a registered nurse at the Ingham County Health Department talks with Vennishia Smith, right, HIV/STD prevention coordinator for Ingham County Health Department, while volunteering at the health department, 5303 S. Cedar St. in Lansing, on National HIV Testing Day. On Wednesday morning, the health department offered free and confidential STD and HIV testing. Samantha Radecki/The State News
About 19,300 people in Michigan presently are living with HIV, but about 4,500 of those individuals are uninformed of their condition, according to Michigan data from April.
Wednesday was National HIV Testing Day and gave people across the country who may be uninformed about their status the opportunity to learn if they have or are at risk for HIV or an STD and receive information on prevention and treatment.
“Those are the people we are trying to reach, people who are unaware of their status,†Vennishia Smith, HIV/STD prevention coordinator for Ingham County Health Department said.
The Michigan Department of Community Health identifies June 27 as National HIV Testing Day, and sites across the state, including the Ingham County Health Department, setup areas for community members to get tested for HIV and STDs.
Ingham County Health Department offered anyone of at least 13 years of age the opportunity to receive rapid testing for HIV, which allows patients to receive their results the same day. The site also provided people with screenings for viral hepatitis, STD services and educational interactive games. All results were confidential, and anonymous HIV testing was an option.
“(We) usually have a really good turnout because people want to know their status,†Smith said. “We see quite a few commercials about knowing your status and celebrities are promoting (getting tested).â€
After checking in, participants could speak with a counselor about a variety of topics, including safe sex practices.
Students from the MSU College of Nursing were present at the event to volunteer.
“Some of us have health backgrounds that we use to educate,†nursing senior Lesley Bates said. “This is a good event because it is an advocate for public health and looking out for the community.â€
Students gave out informational pamphlets as well as prizes for those able to guess closest to how many condoms were in a jar.
“It’s a way to erase any doubts about past sexual history and have a clean slate,†nursing senior Jennifer Sherrer said.
Smith said National HIV Testing Day is just as much about the testing as it is about giving people information about HIV and STDs.
Smith said the Ingham County Health Department is working with their community connections and other departments to maximize their resources for the event.
“There are still a lot of myths about HIV and STD transmission,†she said. “The (more) we can clear up myths the better.â€
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