Nonchalantly propped in the middle of the William Pitt Union floor on the Thursday before Winter break was a sign indicating that there would be free HIV testing on the second floor.
And with that sign I laid everything on the line. Of course, I think it’s important for other people to get tested for STDs but I hadn’t actually thought about myself getting tested. I mean I was pretty sure I didn’t have it, but what if I was wrong? What if I did had it, and I had possibly spread it to someone else? Did I even want to know? How awkward would it be to tell one of your sexual partners that you had this disease?
And then, I tried to calm myself down, by telling myself, “I probably don’t need to get tested anyway. I’m not gay and I’m not African- American, so it’s probably unlikely…right?”
But unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I had seen something retweeted by the Washington Post (originally tweeted by Everyday Health) with the top ten facts about AIDS. Unfortunately, everyone is susceptible to the lifelong virus, though African-Americans are more susceptible to it than other races.
That’s it, I decided after staring at the sign for a minute or so. I have to put my money where my mouth is. Of course, I took the stairs up to the room because I was nervous that people might think I’m some promiscuous girl.
I walked down the incredibly long hallway as quickly as possible and entered a tiny waiting room where a Peer Educator checking people in greeted me. I sat waiting with two other people nervously. I suddenly felt like I could vomit.I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know, I kept repeating to myself.
Then a nice man welcomed me back to an office space. He told me he was a counselor at the Public Health Center across from the CVS on Forbes.
When we walked into the office, I was surprised to see that there was no cup I’d have to pee in (thank God!), but a little tube with a q-tip-looking thing on the table.
He explained to me that all I had to do was take the swab and push it around between my upper lip and gums, my lower lip and gums, and on one side of my cheek. I then put it back in the tube while we would have to wait for what I was sure was going to be an insufferably long 20 minutes.
But it wasn’t so bad. He made sure to talk to me about school and where I was from and we started chatting about our home lives. Then he explained to me that there were two parts on the swab-thingy (kind of like a pregnancy test). One part showed a control and what that showed was either a straight line for negative or a plus sign for positive.
Luckily, I showed a negative result. Unfortunately, there are so many other people, right here in Pittsburgh, who are positive. And some of them don’t even know it. It’s naïve to believe that just because you’re a straight, white, young woman there is NO way you have HIV.
Sure, I’m the first to admit the feeling of not wanting to know. However, even if you’re nervous, do it for your current or future sex partners. How mad would you be if someone you had sex with refused to get tested? It’s a life changing and life threatening disease. If you choose to have sex, you should accept the responsibilities that come with it. This includes the effect you could have on the person or people you may come to know and love lives’. So, do it for them.
And be proud. There’s no reason to be embarrassed that you’re taking care of your body. If you do have AIDS, there are plenty of drugs in this nation that can ease the side effects of this virus. Bono is probably working on the cure in his basement as we speak (If you didn’t catch his interview about World AIDS day on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday, catch it here) http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-november-30-2011/bono )
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hiv-aids/10-hiv-aids-facts-everyone-should-know.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_20111201_worldaids
There is no reason not to talk about this. And definitely no reason to NOT get tested.