It’s not every day that Cerritos College offers a service that may save your life. Only on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
It is on these days that a large white truck can be seen in falcon square, bearing the words, “Charles R. Drew University Community Outreach Program.”
This clinic-on-wheels offers free H.I.V. and Syphilis testing to all Cerritos students who wish to participate.
The inside of the truck looks much like the average doctors office, and you’ll find knowledgeable and dedicated people there to talk to such as Albert Washington, Health Education Assistant for the Center of Community and Preventative Medicine.
As Washington explained, the purpose of this program is to provide education and testing for S.T.D.’s, primarily H.I.V.
He feels that there is a great deal that the general population does not know about the disease, and he is more than happy to fill them in.
40 million people are reported to be infected with H.I.V. worldwide, which is likely an underestimate, based on the number of people who either have not discovered their infection, or simply not reported it.
The proliferation of this disease is not just a clinical one, according to Washington, and in order for this disease to be controlled, the social conditions which harbor this disease need to change as well.
Washington explained that many people are infected because their spouse, significant other, etc., is keeping some sort of secret from their partner, be it an affair, closet homosexuality, or a drug habit. The partner who brought the infection in may not even be aware of it at the time they infect their partner.
The answer? Education and early detection, according to the staff of the Medical Services van, and they offer both by the barrel.
In addition to the counseling and printed material you can receive from the van, H.I.V. and Syphilis testing are offered every 3rd Thursday, and the results are returned the following Thursday.
For those who get squeamish when it comes to needles, the van offers the “OraSure” oral testing device. This device, which is a negligible .2% less reliable than the traditional blood test, is performed by simple rubbing a test strip against the gums and collecting the fluid. That’s it. The tests are completely confidential, they are free, and they may save your life.
The tests offered are designed to detect the presence of H.I.V. antibodies produced by the body at the very early stages of the disease.
Translation: this test can catch the infection early(two weeks to six months), and early treatment means higher survival rate and better quality of life.
If you have any doubt that your blood is not 100% clean, there is no reason not to make a quick stop at the Charles R. Drew Community Outreach Program van.
Take a few minutes out of your day and you are sure to learn something, gain some peace-of-mind, or possibly even save your life. For more information, contact the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science at (310) 763-9746, E-Mail: [email protected].
