Courtesy
Results will be revealed immediately after tests are complete.
by Jayondra Spann
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Thursday will be the first of 20 days of free testing on campus for HIV, Hepatitis C and syphilis.
The testing will be conducted by the San Antonio AIDS Foundation and sponsored by the health promotions office and the ¡Hazlo!: Por Su Salud grant.
A red van will be parked in the mall 9 a.m-2 p.m. Thursday and Monday. Additional dates are available on fliers on campus bulletin boards. The last visit will be May 3.
“The HIV testing is done by fingerprint and the withdrawal of blood,” Andrew Pack, HIV test counselor at the foundation, said.
“Syphilis is done by fingerprint, but if students have had the disease before, the test requires withdrawal of blood. Hepatitis C is done by fingerprint and the withdrawal of blood,” he said.
“You get the results right then and there verbally, and the whole testing process takes 10 to 15 minutes,” he said. “People who should definitely get tested are those who are sexually active and are using drugs.”
Results are confidential because the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, requires confidentiality.
Testing in the van is behind a closed door, and records are sealed unless necessitated by a government body, he said.
The ¡Hazlo! Por Su Salud grant began Oct. 1, 2015, under the direction of Robyn Stassen. ¡Hazlo! Por Su Salud stands for “do it for your health.”
¡Hazlo! Is a collaborative effort between University Health System and the AIDS Foundation to offer information on substance abuse, acquired immune deficiency syndrome and Hepatitis C.
For information, people can go to the website for the San Antonio AIDS Foundation at sanantonioaids.org or call 210-225-4715.
