SARASOTA – Health centers across the Suncoast are bringing awareness to HIV/STD testing as the Hispanic and Latinx community see high impacts in positive tests.
“HIV disproportionately affects our Hispanic and Latinx communities,” said CAN prep coordinator, Jasmine Akins.
1.2 million people tested positive for HIV in 2019 in the United States, and nearly 300,000 of those were Hispanic or Latino.
“Unfortunately, that community is at higher levels of HIV so it’s really just bringing awareness and promoting testing and just letting people about the resources that are available for treatment and prevention,” said Akins.
Stigma and fear of getting tested effects many of the Hispanic and Latinx communities as well as other barriers like language and education
“As an organization CAN offers free testing as well as treatment services for anyone who do has a positive HIV test or any other STI and sexually transmitted infection, if you do test positive we do have treatment services here for you,” said Akins.
For those who do not have transportation, CAN also offers outreach services
“Where they are able to test on site, with our prevention staff and just help give that education as well.”
Overall, health officials say it’s important to know your status.
“We very often have to encourage people to not let any stigma get around that, let it be part or your normal annual blood test, find out where you are at with your health so you are not going through life with HIV or any other disease that you don’t know and could be passing along inadvertently,” said Sarasota County Department of Health, PIO, Steve Huard.
“All of them treatable so if there is something that is deterring them from coming in and getting tested if it’s just fear of overall of knowing, nervous about financial things, or need a support system, please come in, we can do so many different things to help folks,” said Akins.
Both CAN Community Health and the Department of Health in Sarasota offer HIV and STD testing.