The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Howard University's Student Health Center a $250 million development grant to begin a Routine Rapid HIV Testing program on campus this year.
The health center plans to start the program on Monday, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day. Howard's goal is to test 1,500 students for HIV by the end of the school year, according to Howard's student university newspaper, The Hilltop.
"The ultimate objective of this program is to identify new infections and get them into comprehensive health care and prevention counseling, as well as provide them with medical help," said Dr. Lynette Mundey, associate director of the health center.
Before implementing the program, the health center will host student focus groups to decide the best locations on campus for the testing sites. Events centered on sexual health will be planned for students, including a forum about sex and relationships on Valentine's Day.
"It's already known that this disease is spreading very quickly through the black community, and therefore the most likely target for an HIV-testing site would be a predominantly black school," said Brittney Williams, a sophomore in AU's College of Arts and Sciences.
AU's Student Health Center is also concerned about preventing sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
"The spread of any sexually transmitted infection in AU students is of great concern," said Daniel L. Bruey, director of AU's Student Health Center. The center works with students to provide programs on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, Bruey said.
One such program is the Washington Free Clinic, which the center hosts every year to provide free, anonymous HIV testing on campus.
In addition to the Washington Free Clinic, the center provides confidential HIV testing using OraQuick, a test that uses a drop of blood from the fingertip. Test results from OraQuick are available in 20 minutes. The test costs $30.
"I don't think [AU's Student Health Center] has enough advertisement about the services they provide to students," said Zantisha Winston, a junior in CAS. At AU, it's up to the students to take the initiative in getting tested, but the high prices of the tests can become an issue, she said.
For more information on the services the health center provides, call x3380.
