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Several weeks after the Virginia
Beach, Va., mayor commended Teen AIDS Peer Corps in a Youth AIDS Prevention Day
proclamation as a leader in promoting testing and educating Hampton Roads
teens, city officials now are concerned about the local nonprofit’s testing
methods and are reconsidering their decision to use this group.
An April Mount Trashmore fundraiser,
which attracted 1,000 people, included an HIV testing event hosted by Teen AIDS
Peer Corps. Virginia Beach supported the event but questioned the group’s
decision to read out test results publicly. Dr. John Chittick, the group’s
founder, explained that his group was attempting to end the stigma and shame
that surround AIDS and testing. He told the gathering that his group would
return in May to provide more testing. At the next testing session, park
security staff was also present. Chittick revealed to WAVY.com that Teen AIDS
Peer Corps was informed that they could not film or publicly test youth. A city
attorney declined to speak with WAVY.com until after they met with Chittick on
June 5.
Chittick said that the city had
e-mailed questions to him. WAVY.com requested that he provide answers. WAVY
first commented on the question of how Chittick’s group gets children to take
part in public testing and results announcement. WAVY.com shared that in their
observation of the group, WAVY saw volunteers asking peers if they wanted to
learn more about HIV/AIDS; only those who agreed were provided information and
asked if they would like to be tested. Chittick answered no to the question
asking if Teen AIDS Peer Corps obtained parental consent for testing, saying,
"The United States government says anybody 17 or older can buy a test
without any permission from anybody.” Chittick answered no to the question
about Teen AIDS Peer Corps attempting to contact a child's parents if he or she
tested positive. When asked how his group handled an adverse reaction to a
positive HIV test, he replied that Teen AIDS Peer Corps took the teen to a
hospital or clinic, if the teen wished. He added, “In two cases that we had
positive results, the teens did not want us to take them."
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
