Oh in this little tent, much is going on!

Today I went to a community event complete with guest speakers, dancing, singing, praying, catering, AND, most importantly, focused on STI's (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV). After the MC announced that we should all practice what we preached... I went through the testing process myself. With the help of Knysna and Khutso from Humana, the organization that was facilitating all the testing drives in the area, I now know my status.
Khutso invited me in a tent for confidentiality purposes and we talked about the testing procedures. I was asked if I knew how HIV was transmitted, what the symptoms of having HIV are, and what brought me to test. I signed a release form stating that I understood the testing procedures.
Knysna pricked the tip of my ring finger on my left hand, squeezed a few drops onto the testing strip, and then added the solution to start the test. It works like a pregnancy test. If one line appears, I'm negative; if two or three lines show, I'm positive.
As we waited for the results to show, Khutso asked me how I would feel if I tested positive. I answered... nervous and shocked. If it's negative? A sense of relief... even though I know I've been careful and have protected myself... and not that surprised.
I know my status, do you know yours?
From left: Khutso, Mpho, Knysna, and Tiny of Humana.
I was VERY impressed with the level of professionalism that all these women displayed. They've been through extensive trainings and workshops and seem very good at their jobs. We talked about the importance of testing and how hard their jobs sometimes are. They're there when couples come to get tested together, they're there when people find out for the first time that they're positive, and they all realize the importance of what they're doing. It's a constant battle. HIV tests are free, fast, and are the first step to helping people who are sick be aware of what they need to do in order to stay alive. The challenge is educating everyone, reducing the stigma attached to being HIV positive, and encouraging people to know their status.