Free and confidential HIV testing will be offered today on Hayden Lawn as a part of the AIDS Community Fair.
The fair will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is part of AIDS Awareness Week events coordinated by campus organization AIDS Helping Others Prevent and Educate.
AIDS H.O.P.E. is a community service organization dedicated to fostering a campus environment that promotes sexual responsibility.
"HIV testing is imperative to both prevention and treatment," said Max Siegel, psychology junior and president of AIDS H.O.P.E.
Testing counselors from the Maricopa County Health Department, Ebony House and Native American Pathways will use the OraQuick HIV test, allowing students to receive results in 20 to 30 minutes.
"When people know their status, they can engage in safer sex practices and prevent others from getting infected," said Freddy Roman, senior health educator at the Student Health and Wellness Center.
Half the people becoming infected with HIV each year are under age 25, making it important for students to be tested early and often, Roman added.
Siegel, 20, falls into that category.
"If the virus goes unnoticed and is able to progress, it can do damage to your body that is irreversible and will limit the treatment options which may save your life," he said. "Waiting to find out will make treatment more difficult."
The Public Health Department will have representatives from two programs at the event. One program focuses on HIV prevention, and the other is directed toward those infected with HIV. Both groups are funded by federal grants meant to target groups that are at high risk for HIV.
The purpose of the latter program is to inform people of services such as primary medical care that are available through Maricopa County, said Public Health Department Prevention and Outreach Services Supervisor Billy Leeth.
"Students can educate themselves about how the disease is transmitted, explore their risk factors and talk about what they discover," Siegel said.
Reach the reporter at chelsea.ide@asu.edu.
