Tampa Is…?

Twenty five years. 

“A generation since we’ve had this disease,” said Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the Hillsborough County Health Department, on Friday outside of the Health Department’s Specialty Clinic at 1105 E. Kennedy. It was World AIDS Day, a day to not only remember the 25+ million people who have passed on due to the world’s deadliest epidemic, but also a day to educate and protect ourselves and the generations to follow.

I went to the fair held to check out all the info, speakers, and of course, get a free HIV test.

I showed up about an hour after the HIV & various other STD testing had begun. Normally it’s $30 for the tests with a physical exam, they were all free on World AIDS Day. (However, according to the Health Department’s website, they offer sliding scale for those in need and say no one will be turned away due to inability to pay.) There had already been 20 other folks who breezed through before me in the past hour. The goal of the day was to test 400 people.

It took almost 10 minutes for a confidential intake interview, only a few moments in the waiting room (long enough to read posted flyer calling for male volunteers in an HPV study at USF), and then I was in a private room with a R, a seasoned nurse practitioner. R told me the blood test that I’ll be taking looks for HIV antibodies in the blood. Because of the incubation period, any exposure I may have had up to 3 months ago probably won’t show up.

R asked me questions about my sexual history and I asked R when HIV becomes AIDS. She said when “The combination of t-cells go below a 300 count and there is a presence of opportunistic infection (such as TB, meningitis, cancer, etc.).” She added that AIDS is now considered a chronic disease, such as lupus and diabetes.

R also said one of the difficulties in finding a cure is that there are so many mutated strains now, because of all the different medications and HIV+ people having sex or sharing needles with other HIV+ people, passing the virus back and forth. “Not all strains are the same.” R said.

R then took me to the lab and another person took my blood. As someone who can’t watch the operation scenes in House without feeling vomitable, I survived the swabbing and poking. The man was that good. They told me my results would be back in 2 weeks and sent me on to the next station, a urine test for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The young man who took my cup o’ pee and told me the results would be back in a week was with Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan, or THAP. They provide educational services for youth 13-24 years old and outreach in different communities, such as the prison system and 50 ft. from schools with their mobile unit – since you know, abstinence is the only form of birth control/STD education allowed on school property.

THAP gives out condoms galore, except in prisons where condoms are not allowed, despite the fact “the rates of HIV and AIDS in correctional facilities is 3 to 5 times higher than in the general population,” according to the Florida Department of Health.

I left the clinic and made my way into the crowd gathered in the hallway, in time to hear brand new County Commissioner Rose Ferlita speak about her commitment to the HIV/AIDS community. “You need to hold us accountable, make sure that what we said is what we’ll do.”

She referred to her friend and colleague City Council member Linda Saul-Sena as a bridge between the county and city. Linda thanked Commissioner Ferlita as a pharmacist and those in public health for all the work they’ve done on behalf of HIV/AIDS. Saul-Sena then read part of a proclamation offering support and comfort to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, as well as their caregivers.

It was all so very warm and fuzzy, but outside of the AIDS community – the Poz, their loved ones, medical support, etc. – there is very little awareness on World AIDS Day or any other day.

Have you made an HIV test a regular part of your yearly exam?

To volunteer with or get more info on THAP, call 813.226.2141. Many places in the Tampa area, such as the Metro Center, offer free HIV testing year round, without a blood test, accurate results within 20 minutes.