The Brown chapter of the Global Alliance to Immunize against AIDS and Queer Alliance are co-sponsoring HIV Testing Day at the Sarah Doyle Women's Center on Saturday.
Unlike the confidential HIV tests available at Health Services, the tests offered by GAIA and QA are free and anonymous. "There is a difference between anonymous and confidential. Confidential means that they take your name but they don't share it. Anonymous means that you are only assigned a number," said Michael DeLucia '07, a member of QA's Queer Community Committee.
The tests at Health Services cost about $25, and Health Services bills mailed home to parents could reflect that a student was tested for HIV.
QA has made it a priority since 2005 to offer these tests for free to promote safe-sex practices, but DeLucia said the University should be responsible for providing easy access to HIV testing for students. "We feel that it's unfortunate that a student group is responsible for bringing free anonymous testing to campus," DeLucia said.
The rapid oral testing method is a relatively new technology that makes the process easier for test-takers. With the old method of blood testing, "you have to come back after two weeks, but with rapid tests you only have to wait 20 minutes," DeLucia said.
QA and GAIA will provide enough tests for 100 to 150 people, and they expect that demand for the tests will exceed their supply, said Madeline DiLorenzo '08, the founder of the Brown chapter of GAIA.
AIDS Care Ocean State, a Rhode Island-based non-profit organization, will send volunteers to administer the free tests. The tests themselves were donated by Abbott Laboratories, DiLorenzo said.
The tests will be administered Saturday at the Sarah Doyle Women's Center between noon and 4 p.m.
