The St. Maarten AIDS Foundation is holding another free and confidential HIV testing day on Saturday, May 30th, at the Belvedere Community Center. Testing will be offered from 10 am till 4 pm and is open to the general public.
The HIV test requires only a small prick in the finger. The tests are anonymous and linked to the person only by a one-time identifier, and return results with only a 15-minute waiting time. As always, volunteers from the American University of the Caribbean will assist with pre-test counseling and testing, and Spanish and Creole translators will be on hand throughout the day.
This will be the first time that the AIDS Foundation is visiting the Belvedere district to offer free HIV testing, and is in line with the push to make HIV testing more accessible to the people in various neighborhoods. “We are thankful for the staff at the Belvedere Community Center for lending us the use of their facilities. We hope people take advantage of getting a free HIV test in a location that is convenient to them, and come out in large numbers”, said Dr. Gerard van Osch, the President of the AIDS Foundation. “Knowing one’s HIV status is important in getting a baseline in one’s health. Then you need regular testing, just as you need regular check-ups for diabetes, blood pressure, etc.”
The AIDS Foundation reminds the public that HIV testing is also available at the AIDS Foundation office in Cole Bay Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings from 9am to 12pm. For further information, call +588 4636 or +553 2626, or consult the Foundation’s Facebook page: facebook.com/sxmaidsfoundation.