Local centers to offer free STD tests

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of attention.” This line from Barenaked Ladies’ “Unfinished” could double as a motto for Positive Link, Bloomington Hospital’s HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and education center.\nPositive Link provides anonymous HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis testing between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia tests are also available at the Future Family Planning Clinic from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays.\n“All of our testing is free, with a couple of exceptions,” said Emily Brinegar, Positive Link’s prevention coordinator and support specialist.\nFor blood and urine tests at Positive Link or Future Family, there is no fee and the results come back in two weeks. With a mouth swab, the clinic can produce HIV results within 20 minutes. \nHowever, “clients,” as Positive Link refers to those who use their services, will find quick tests are only free for the next few weeks. The Indiana Department of Health recently cut funding, and Positive Link now can only afford to pick up the cost of quick tests until allocated funds run out, which they estimate will happen in April.\nBrinegar said the most common misconception she hears is “that assumption that you can look at someone and know whether they have HIV.” Until someone’s T-cell count – a measure of immune system strength – drops below 200 and they get an opportunistic infection – one that is uncommon in anyone without a weakened immune system – they are not diagnosed with AIDS, even though they have the virus.\nAnother problem, Brinegar said, is the idea that HIV is no longer a big deal, or that it is curable. While many drugs are available to treat HIV and AIDS, the side effects are often severe and unpleasant, including vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems. Physicians are now seeing long-term effects of the medicines, which affect blood sugar and cholesterol, and thus can lead to conditions like heart disease and diabetes. \nJill Stowers, Positive Link’s program manager, said volunteers and interns are an important part of the organization, both on the prevention end and in client relations.\n“We really look at our volunteers and interns as, you know, quasi-staff,” she said. “We definitely try to match people up with what they’re interested in.”\nStowers added that the structure of Positive Link is different from the rest of Bloomington Hospital.\n“We’re very much set up as a social service model,” she said, as opposed to a strictly medical model. “It’s just a different angle to work from, a different perspective.”\nMany jobs of Positive Link employees are essentially social work to help their clients who have AIDS. \n“The whole idea is linking them to the services they need through the hospital and the community,” Brinegar said.\nChlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV tests are also available through Planned Parenthood. In addition to these, IU Health Center also offers tests for herpes and the human papilloma virus (HPV). Prices vary between the tests and all relevant information can be found on the organizations’ Web sites.