VALDOSTA — HIV can be treatable only if people know they have it.

In the U.S., one in seven people are unaware if they have HIV, according to hiv.gov.

Part of this problem is the stigma of getting tested, which the South Health District is trying to squash with frequent free HIV testing events.

“It’s still a bit taboo,” said Althea Mims-Daniels, SHD HIV coordinator. “We want to do something here in Valdosta to where this is accessible in the community. If we want to make it more readily available, we’re hoping it will start conversations to allow them to feel more comfortable and open to coming and getting tested.”

The free testing booths were set up Thursday outside of V-Town Gifts and More on Ashley Street and Park Avenue.

A crowd lined up near the sign-up table just minutes before the event started, which was a good sign to Mims-Daniels.

“Usually we have about 100 people out at an event like this,” she said.

Testers included SHD employees and community volunteers who were approved to test individuals for HIV.

Cecilia Pierce, a registered nurse at Valdosta State University’s Student Health Center, trained with SHD to be able to test students and faculty. To give back, she volunteered Thursday.

“The health department actually gives us all the supplies we need to do the testing,” Pierce said. “When we have events like this, we like to give back to the community because they trained us. We really enjoy this.”

Pierce and other testers used INSTI, an HIV testing kit that literally says in the name how quickly the results come – instantly.

“It takes a minute,” Pierce said. “I do a finger stick, get a drop of blood in a test tube and have to put different reagents in it. In a minute, we have our results.”

If the results come back negative, then patients are good to go. If some antibodies present, it only takes 20 more minutes to confirm a positive result, Pierce said.

From that point, staff and volunteers can help people with positive results learn about treatment options.

“It is important for people to get tested,” Mims-Daniels said. “We have events like this so people can know what their status is so they will not infect others.”

It is recommended that everyone is tested at least once in their life. The number of tests someone receives should increase if they live a high-risk lifestyle — if a person is having unsafe sex or sharing needles, for example. 

According to the Georgia Department of Health’s most recent data on HIV cases in South Georgia, there were 1,151 people living with HIV infection in Valdosta as of December 2017. There were 68 new diagnoses made in 2017 as well.

If a resident missed the event, there are more opportunities to get tested for free. Call the SHD at (229) 245-8711 for more information.

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.