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Monday marked the official debut of a new van that will help the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York (ACNNY) reach more people with HIV testing and prevention services.
Executive Director Michelle McClave said the group hopes to use the van at least once a week and double the number of free screenings it offers; last year, ACNNY conducted about 2,000 tests. With a focus on reaching high-risk populations, including youths, the van will visit locations from downtown neighborhoods frequented by homeless populations to busy bars.
The van has two rooms divided by a sliding steel door, creating an area for private and anonymous screenings. Though there are a handful of outreach vans in the area doing similar work, McClave said ACNNY’s vehicle is the only one with running water, meaning the group can perform blood- and urine-based tests.
The speed at which ACNNY can conduct screenings and the immediacy of results are a key draw, said McClave. “If people have to wait in line for a while, they start to think too much, worry or panic,” she noted. “We need to seize on that opportunity once someone decides they want to go in for a test.”
The mobile center cost about $106,000, funded through a 2008 legislative item and private donations. ACNNY has been using the van since June, including recent trips to Plattsburgh and Albany. “We’re reaching people we have not been able to reach before,” said Carter Chaskey, a prevention and intervention specialist for the council.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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