By Shanell Jackson, Phillip Ranallo, and Sasha Lester
VCU InSight
RICHMOND, Va.—- December is AIDS Awareness month. To raise awareness about the disease, Richmond’s Fan Free Clinic offered free HIV testing to students at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Student Commons on December 2.
The test was simple—oral swabs and a 20 minute wait for the results.
While the test is not an absolute guarantee of a person’s HIV status, it was an opportunity for students to learn more about protecting themselves from HIV and AIDS.
Susan Tellier is the HIV Testing Coordinator for Fan Free Clinic and stresses the importance of increasing awareness.
“HIV is on the rise in this country, especially in this state and in the city of Richmond and it’s important that young people in particular know their HIV status,” Tellier said.
For more information on the Fan Free Clinic, you can go to their website, www.fanfreeclinic.org.
