Free ‘test for life’ offer
The Bienestar anti-AIDS campaign progresses in California
La Opinion
Yurina Rico
June 29, 2007

Friday, June 29, 2007 If you have sexual relations, the Center for Disease Control of the United States (CDC), recommends that you be tested for HIV/AIDS each year. There is no reason to avoid it: it is free and confidential.

A coalition of community organizations, the California Medical Association and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation joined forces to offer free testing at locations accessible to the population, as part of the "Test for life" campaign.

Coral López, spokeswoman for Bienestar, a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of services to persons infected with HIV/AIDS, said that, although the test is already offered free of charge, her focus during this campaign is on obtaining extended schedules for the people to be able to go before or after work.

"Until recently, it was believed that the only persons at risk of contracting HIV (homosexuals and bisexuals) should get tested, but now the recommendation is that if you have sex, you are at risk and you must get tested ", says López.
"We, like other community organizations that are part of the coalition, offer free testing and you can do it without fear and without disclosing your immigration status."

In California, Latinos represent 25% of the total reported cases of HIV and African-American women represent 37% of the reported HIV infections among women.

A little over 40 thousand persons in California are infected with HIV/AIDS and according to experts, it is most probable that they did not know about their disease until it was too late.

At a national level, the "Test for life " campaign started in September 2006 with the announcement of the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which requested that HIV/AIDS testing be part of routine health care.

To find the nearest healthcare center and make an appointment, you can call 323-727-7896.