Monday, June 27, 2005 | 8:34 a.m.
As part of National HIV testing day today, different agencies throughout the Las Vegas valley will be offering testing and educational services.
"So many people spread the disease by not knowing they are infected, and by knowing you are infected you can stop the spread," said Paul Spiers, who works with Golden Rainbow, an organization that provides housing and financial services to people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
Free testing, either through a blood test or an oral sample, will be provided by the Clark County Heath District at the Health District Office of AIDS which is inside the Ravenholt Public Health Center at 625 Shadow Lane. Free HIV testing is always offered at the office, which is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; the tests are offered on a walk-in basis. Results from either test are available a week after taking the test.
Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada is also offering free HIV testing at all three of their health centers. The centers are located 3220 W. Charleston Blvd, 3940 N. Martin Luther King Blvd, and 3320 E. Flamingo Road. Planend parenthood is offering both kinds of testing, blood and oral.
While the tests will be free today to anyone, Planned Parenthood usually only offers free HIV testing at their Martin Luther King center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to patients who are also paying for other services.
The health district is also working with the Las Vegas Outreach Team to go to non-traditional venues to provide AIDS testing. On Monday night from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. the outreach team and the health district will be at the Good Times Bar at 1775 E. Tropicana Road, distributing information about HIV and providing free testing at the site.
"One of our target populations is men who have sex with men, and that's a gay bar," said Cherie Filler-Maietta, who works with the health district. "We've worked closely with the owners and the mangers of the different bars and clubs. They also see the need for us to provide education and HIV testing."
The Las Vegas Outreach Team is an association of different organizations around the valley such as Aids for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN), the Rape Crisis Center, West Care, the Economic Opportunities Board and other. Sybrina Bernabei, who is part of the team, said that going to non-traditional venues, such as bars, is an effective way to spread the word about safe sex.
"You know most people, even though they are out there to have a good time, if you approach them in that environment its amazing the kinds of conversations you can have with people," she said.
She said by combining the efforts of the different organizations and the health district, they can serve people better.
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