Education and Prevention

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Reaching out to our Community

AHI provides HIV prevention, education, outreach, and testing programs targeting high risk populations throughout the Keys under two major grants: a federal grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminstration (SAMHSA) under Health and Human Services; and a state grant from the Florida Department of Health via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Under terms of our grants, the education department participates in health fairs, street fairs, workshops, forums, nationally proclaimed days for HIV/AIDS awareness, community-wide celebrations and festivals, as well as bar and guesthouse outreach.

AHI also offers anonymous/confidential Free HIV testing at locations in Key West, Stock Island, and Marathon. Please call 305-296-6196 for information.

Why Get Tested?Test times and locations

AIDS is a frightening disease, but today there are new therapies and approaches that are keeping many people with HIV healthy.The first and most important step you can take is to find out whether you’ve been exposed to HIV. Once you know your HIV status, there are many choices you have to make that will keep you healthy.

Neither OraQuick Advance nor OraSure requires a needle
or blood draw. They are both administered with a simple
oral fluid sample.

HIV tests must be reported to the state health department in Florida, so it is important to be aware of the different types of testing available:

• Anonymous testing is where the results are linked to the person being tested by a code or alias known only to them. Neither the nurse/doctor ordering the test nor anyone else knows the identity of the patient. Only the test results and any demographic information provided are reported to public health authorities.
• Confidential testing is where the results can be linked to the person being tested. The nurse/doctor knows the identity of the person being tested, but keeps it confidential. The name of the person testing positive is not reported to public health authorities, only the test results and any demographic information provided
  

Current testing times and locations:

To obtain additional information about HIV/AIDS, call 305.296.6196.

Having HIV and having AIDS is not the same thing. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, eventually leading to a range of illnesses that are called acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. You can have HIV and remain healthy, but without treatment, most people get sick.

An HIV-antibody blood test is commonly used to see whether you’ve been exposed to the virus. This test looks for HIV antibodies, special proteins that the body produces to fight HIV. Other tests measure HIV antibodies in urine and saliva. Most HIV-antibody tests use the ELISA method of detection that is 99% accurate. A more sensitive Western blot test is used to confirm a positive result.

A positive test result means you’ve been exposed to HIV; it doesn’t mean you have AIDS. If you test positive, you should plan to see a doctor familiar with HIV and consider other tests for HIV and treatment options.

A negative test means you haven’t been exposed to the virus OR that it’s too early to tell. It takes from two weeks to six months for antibodies to develop after a person is exposed to HIV. A negative result doesn’t protect you against future infection.

Counseling is an important part of getting an HIV test. Trained counselors at the above phone numbers locally can address your fears and help you prepare for getting the results.

Frequent testing is also advisable. Let’s face it, folks. We live in a very sexually charged environment. When any of us sleeps with an out-of-towner, we sleep with everyone they’ve slept with across this country.

We want our younger generation to grow up healthy and we want our older generation around to pass on the knowledge and experience that will help to preserve our paradise.

That’s the ultimate answer to the question “Why get tested?”

Play Safe in Paradise

In 2006, the Education department distributed approximately 54,000 safer sex packets each contain 3 condoms, lubricant and a safer sex message. We also provided one-on-one HIV prevention intervention sessions to over 2000 Monroe County residents.

News articles written by Education staff are featured in local newspapers highlighting HIV risk factors, trends in HIV transmission and treatments, and government involvement in the AIDS epidemic. This media program is complemented by production of HIV risk reduction PSA’s (public service announcements), which run on local cable networks, through a grant from Cable Positive.

Outreach and education at the Monroe County jail are made possible by the SAMHSA grant. Bilingual Hispanic and African American staff serves those communities experiencing disproportionately high rates of HIV transmission. A research project and targeted outreach to Monroe County tourists rounds out the array of services and programs that the AHI education department provides for our community.

The following Role Model Stories are part of our internet chat room intervention program.

Damien
Trent
Mick
Reekay
Tommy
Tristan
Gregg
Mike
Toby
Joshua
Kendall

• KEEPING IT SAFE!
• PLAY SAFE ON THE INTERNET - Part 1
• PLAY SAFE ON THE INTERNET - Part 2